Chapter 135 - 035: The feast

By late afternoon, the preparations were nearly complete.

The meat had been cooked, the fruits arranged in baskets, and the other dishes placed in large containers around the gathering area. The villagers had also finished arranging the benches, leaving enough space for families to sit together.

Anaria arrived with Rylan, Kenai, Kai, and Ana just as the first families began gathering.

Kai looked around, taking in the amount of food laid out before them.

"This is better than I expected," he remarked.

Anaria glanced at him. "You sound surprised."

"I’m not surprised. I’m impressed."

"By the food?"

"By everything." He paused, then added, "But mostly the food."

She laughed and shook her head.

Rylan greeted one of the elders who approached them, while Kenai helped a woman move a container closer to the serving area. Anaria adjusted Ana in her arms and looked around at the growing crowd.

The villagers seemed excited. Some were already talking about the dishes they had prepared, while others were finding places for their children to sit. The younger ones kept running around until their parents called them back, reminding them not to disturb the people serving the food.

It wasn’t a particularly elaborate celebration, but everyone had contributed something, and there was enough food to go around.

"Anaria!"

She turned at the sound of her name and saw one of the older women approaching.

"We’ve been looking for you. Come and sit with us."

"Oh, I’m fine standing here."

"Nonsense. You’ve been walking around all day. Sit down and let someone else handle things for a change."

Anaria opened her mouth to argue, then closed it.

The woman was already gesturing towards an empty space beside the other women.

"Go on. We’ll call you if we need anything."

Anaria gave in and joined them, settling down with Ana on her lap.

She hadn’t realized how many people wanted to speak with her until they began approaching her one after another. Some thanked her for helping improve the settlement, while others told her how much easier their daily routines had become.

One woman explained that she no longer had to spend as much time searching for clean water. Another spoke about the sewing shelter and how much she enjoyed having a place where she could work alongside the other women.

Anaria listened, occasionally asking questions or responding to their comments.

She was happy that the improvements were helping them, but she didn’t want the villagers to think she had accomplished everything alone.

"You should thank yourselves too," she told them. "I suggested some of the changes, but you were the ones who helped build everything. If nobody had been willing to work, we wouldn’t have gotten this far."

One of the women nodded. "That’s true, but we wouldn’t have known where to begin without you."

"Then we’ll keep figuring things out together."

The women smiled, and their conversation soon shifted to the feast.

Someone began discussing which dish had taken the longest to prepare, leading to a lively disagreement between two women who each insisted their own contribution had required more work.

Anaria listened with amusement, occasionally adding a comment when they tried to make her choose a side.

By the time the elders called everyone to gather, the area was filled with villagers.

The oldest elder stepped forward, waiting until the conversations quieted.

"We have gathered today because there is something worth celebrating," he began. "Over the past few days, our settlement has changed in many ways. Our children have a place to play, our elders have a better shelter, and we now have access to cleaner water. Our women have also begun working together in a place of their own."

Several villagers nodded in agreement.

"These improvements did not happen because of one person’s efforts alone. Many of you gave your time, your strength, and the resources you could spare. Some worked on the shelters, some helped with the water supply, and others contributed in ways that may not be immediately obvious."

He paused, looking across the gathering.

"Today, we are celebrating all of you."

The villagers responded with approving murmurs.

The elder then turned towards Anaria.

"We are also grateful to Anaria. She has helped us find ways to improve our lives, and we appreciate everything she has done for this settlement."

A few people began clapping, and others soon joined them.

Anaria shifted uncomfortably when the attention turned towards her.

She hadn’t expected a speech, much less one that would leave everyone looking at her.

When the elder finished, she rose with Ana in her arms.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at the gathering. "I’m glad I could help, but please don’t forget that this settlement belongs to all of you. Whatever we improve here, we’re improving it for ourselves and our families."

She glanced towards the children gathered near their parents.

"I want the children to grow up somewhere safe. I want the women to have the things they need to work comfortably, and I want the elders to have a proper place to rest. We still have plenty to do, but we can keep working on those things together."

She sat down again before the villagers could turn her words into another long round of praise.

Kai leaned closer to her.

"You handled that well."

Anaria looked at him. "I was only talking."

"Exactly. And you didn’t even run away when everyone started clapping."

"Should I have?"

"No. But I would have found it funny."

She gave him a light shove with her shoulder.

Before she could respond further, the elders announced that the food was ready to be served.

The villagers began moving towards the serving area, but the elders had already arranged for the children and older people to receive their portions first. The younger adults helped carry food to those who couldn’t easily move around, while others distributed water.

Anaria watched the process for a moment, pleased that everyone was following the arrangement without needing to be reminded.

Then Kai stood up.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To get food."

"You could have said that before standing like you’re about to announce something important."

Kai looked at her seriously. "Food is important."