Henry settled into the seat at the head of the table, and let some of his tension fade. He was not stupid - he had caught the heavy air between his guest and Mother Matilda, but he was not about to interfere in their unspoken dance of wills. Both of them did seem to be settling for the dinner meal, so for now at least he could let things be. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled gently, then smiled to Yvonne, and looked across the table.

Adrianna and her helpers had brought in platters carrying the bread that he had brought in, sliced up. What wasn't in the stew to help thicken it, that was. In front of him was the large crock pot holding the rich stew, and beside it was a stack of bowls. Pitchers and cups sat near the spots that everyone was now filling, the younger kids squirming as they fidgeted in their seats. Henry cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself as he lifted his voice.

"Alright everyone. We're going to have a few moments of silence so you all can say your prayers. For those who don't worship, just remain silent and respectful." Of course, being kids, it was unlikely they'd be able to remain silent the entire time, but at least they would try, and Henry knew none of them would actively speak up. Silence held reign as his bright blue eyes swept along the table.

The smallest children were mumbling audibly, their words just barely below understandable. They tried, but they weren't used to being quiet normally. The older children did better, either only mouthing the words, or being silent as one observed the teenagers. There were a few who were different though - Mother Matilda was openly praying to the Thaynes, asking them to watch over those she had taken into her household. Adrianna and Henry were also different - the two eldest of the orphans were both silently watching over the table.

Henry nodded to Adrianna and slid his eyes over to Yvonne, curious to see if his impromptu guest was praying herself. From what he knew, the Aleran people tended to hold no faith in religion, and most actively disliked magic. Still, there were always outliers in any given group, so he wasn't immediately discounting the fact that she might say grace herself. He didn't let his gaze remain on her for very long, though, instead shifting in his seat and clearing his throat, breaking the hush.

"Alright you lot." He began ladling out the stew and passing it around, gaging each bowl for who it would end up with and filling it more or less depending on what he remembered their appetites were like. The loaves of bread were broken and spread around, at least one slice going to everyone. Henry filled a smaller portion for mother Matilda, and tore apart her slice of bread for her as she gave him a brief, tight smile of thanks.

"How much would you like, Miss Yvonne?" The man raised one eyebrow as he turned his attention to her, ladle hovering over a bowl for her. She was the only one he didn't know the actual preference for, so he was hesitant to overfill her bowl.

"Henry, Henry! Tell us about your travels! Come on, tell!" It seemed the children were eager to be regaled, and the minstrel gave the silver-eyed woman a sheepish grin as he filled her bowl partially.

"Children." The sharp word from Matilda quieted most of the youths down, though she swung her own sharp gaze to Henry. "They are not wrong to ask, merely in how they ask. Your letter home have been infrequent, young man." Henry laughed ruefully and rubbed the back of his head.

"Come now, I've not been gone that long! How much mischief could I possibly have gotten-"

"You forget that you did mention the bandits?" It was Adrianna who cut him off, and Henry paused and blinked, his eyes going wide.

"Yea yea, the bandits! Come on Henry, tell us about them!" This came from of the children who had helped Adrianna out in the kitchen - apparently, the little girl felt obliged to help out. Henry shook his head.

"Peace you lot, peace! Right. The bandits, the bandits... Ah, yes. I hat was when I saved the damsel in distress." The sounds of dinner quieted, and Henry saw Matilda raise an eyebrow. He grinned. "Oh yes. Three rather brutish men, attacking one woman alone in the woods. I could not exactly stand aside, so of course I went to help. And I proved how smart it is to pay attention in your lessons with the armsmaster in town - the bandits were quickly beaten! Arrows flew, and staves spun as they were taken out. Only -" Henry smirked and took a bite of his stew, slowly savoring it. He heard a whine, and chuckled before continuing.

" Only I found out that it was no damsel in distress - in fact, I ended up having to save the bandits!" He heard one of the young girls gasp. "Mmm, yes. They'd picked the wrong person to attack - their would-be victim was actually a kind of - now don't let this scare you - a kind of vampire. Thankfully, I was able to convince her to let the men go without killing them, at least the two that survived the attack. Rather nice woman, when she wasn't trying to kill someone." He laughed.