Everything in the poem seems to make sense, in the way of things once you know all the answers. (Which of course the players didn't at the time.) So what, if anything, remains to be explained?
No idea. But they wouldn't be visiting Thunder's stall if there were nothing left to discover about Step's story line, now would they?
And WHY, oh why do cats think Aravis is "like a cat"? Been waiting years for it.