Six marinated cattle were transported next to the bonfire by carts—if they weren't escorted by the Militia, Roland suspected that on their way through the crowd, the cattle would have already been cleared by the overzealous masses.
This was all of the food reserves the castle had left in the basement. So he would not eat any meat until the arrival of the next merchant ship. The thought of this made Roland cry silently. To organize this celebration successfully, he had used up everything he had.