The older woman Lind saw was hard to place age wise. Her hair was heavily gray, but even with a few wrinkles, she looked barely older than his own mother. The cane laying next to her was a simple dark material indicating her legs were giving her difficulty. Her robes, though, were far more fancy than anyone Lind had seen thus far.
Normally, the crimson robes he wore were essentially what everyone else wore with the occasionally golden highlights on a few. His own mother had such a golden marking on her robes with a symbol on one side on her right shoulder. Lind assumed that indicated her expertise in alchemy.
This woman with pale golden eyes had a much finer crimson robe with both black and gold highlights. The other 2 colors were much wider at the edges compared to any robe Lind had seen before. There was also a mark on her right shoulder but it was hard to see with her back length hair covering part of it. She was also still clearly crying while looking off into the sky.
Lind quietly walked up and out of instinct he simply patted her legs while looking at her face. The woman nearly jumped but then saw him. At first she looked confused but then a disgusted look flashed across her face before it became blank. Lind understood the confusion but wondered why she looked disgusted for a moment.
"What do you want?" Her tone was short and clipped while her left hand had begun to grasp the cane. Lind did not pause and opened up the lunch his mother had packed. Aside from the usual balanced meal, he saw what he wanted, the treat she made for him. It was some kind of sweet bread with a jam in the middle that was so good it should be a crime if anyone disliked it. He pulled it out and offered it to the woman.
The confused look returned and now she truly looked stumped. She slowly grasped the sweet and looked it over before taking a bite. Surprise flashed across her face before a spontaneous smile broke out across her face. Lind quietly stepped back and knelt on the ground to begin eating his own lunch. He had no idea what to say, but a small gift for someone in pain was the best he could do.
He hoped it brightened her day as he was only 5 and had no sage advice he could give at such an age. It would probably seem ridiculous to anyone. Lind ate silently as he looked up at the clouds and noted the older woman was now simply staring at him as he ate. He waved and smiled at her at times and the look of curiosity simply grew stronger.
It was not uncomfortable for Lind exactly, but he felt useless as there was nothing else he could do for her. Still, he finished his lunch and packed up before cleaning the area. Even though it was a garden, he did not want to actively attract pests. The few insects he had learned of were not dangerous to the plants but he kept an eye out as his mother told him to for the dangerous ones.
"I hope you have a better day." Lind smiled wide and bowed as he had seen his mother do on occasion. He then turned to head back to keep picking herbs. There was nothing else to say or do right now but then he felt a hand grab him. He looked back and saw even more confusion on her face.
"You just gave me your treat from your mother, but you did not want to say anything besides that?" She seemed to really be confused and now some wonder floated past her eyes. Lind shrugged his shoulders and wondered how to explain.
"I saw you crying and while I could not help with whatever it was, my mom's cooking is amazing. Whenever I was down, it could perk me right up. Her jam bread especially is good. I only wanted to give you a happy moment on a day when you seemed down. Was I wrong?" Lind worried he had maybe done the wrong thing but instead of anger or the disgust coming back, just wonder came across from the older woman.
She looked down and noted the baskets with some vials and pouches full of herbs. She seemed to soften as she looked at him and then patted his head. She smirked and he was happy to have given her that moment.
"Do you come here everyday?" She asked the question he had not expected and Lind shook his head to hold up the list he had. She looked it over and nodded her head with a look of surprise as she saw a few he knew to be hard to collect.
"My mother is meditating and I wanted to help. She is amazing and works so hard. I wish I could do more for everyone but I am 5." Lind shrugged his shoulders before he heard a much more pleasant sound. The old woman was now giggling. Lind looked up confused and saw her look quite surprised. Only a little while ago she had been crying, but now she was giggling.
"I would not be opposed to your company in the future. You are Mira's son, correct? What is your name?" Lind was surprised to know she would come back after he had seen no one here in 2 years. The last part though was easy as he nodded.
"Lind. I would be happy to see you, but what do I call you?" Lind saw surprise cross her face and then full laughter came out of her. She had tears again but now they were happy tears. She was patting his head and the gentle look increased on her face.
"Granny, you can call me Granny. Is that ok?" Lind was unsure if she was really his grandmother but he saw no reason to object and nodded his head strongly. She now ruffled his hair and used her cane to slowly walk out of the garden through a door he had never seen used. Before she slipped out he yelled to her.
"Take care of yourself Granny and I will see you next time if you are here!" He saw a surprised smile grace her face and the dimples were clear to him. She was supposed to be smiling! Lind felt good as he went back to his current tasks.
Weeks went by before he saw her again, but this time she was smiling when he came up to her. They talked about the herbs and his mother, but Lind only asked simple questions to Granny. Mostly, he was making sure she was really ok and not hurting like that first day. This continued for 2 months before the tables were flipped.
Lind was staring off into the steel gray clouds in the sky. There was no sign of rain, but it felt a little colder than normal. For this day, Lind was perfectly fine with it. He had no vials, bags, or even lunch today. His mother was busy concocting but he had let her know he would be in the garden. Her dark green eyes had looked at him worriedly but he faked a smile as he left.
If Lind wanted proof that his 5 year old body was strongly affecting his emotions, today solidified the theory. On Earth, he had been somewhat bullied as a kid, but as an adult it was rare. He had even acted to prevent bullying at his jobs or at random places he was at with friends and family. He could not recall ever being truly hurt like he was today.
More people had come to get pills from Lind's mother, but there was a slight change this time. Lind had kept trying to be helpful and simple preparation was possible with his small body. He was not allowed anywhere near the fires of the pot for concocting, but that was pure safety. He was curious how his mother lit it though as he had yet to find a single spent match.
Still, he could lay out herbs, grab some vials, and even prepare the jade containers his mother would use to store the pills. They were various colors but he had yet to learn what those meant. He had done this the last few months and even the visitors had smiled at him helping his mother out. It had felt really good!
Today, though, people he had not met before came. They were not much older than his mother, but he noticed that she bowed low to them compared to others. He also noticed that his mother seemed worried. There were 2 women and 1 man. All had dark hair, the same as his mother, but Lind's own hair had lightened a bit. It was likely not going to be much lighter, but it would not be as black as his mother's.
Lind first felt a bit uncomfortable as the two dark eyed women looked down at him. He thought he might have done something wrong or was too young to be here, but his mother had not dismissed him. The man did not so much as look at Lind. His eyes seemed golden and wrong. If Lind was only a child, he would not have understood, but the look in that man's eyes was clearly sizing up Lind's mother!
Nothing happened for a while as the adults spoke and Lind put out some tools he knew his mother would use. He stayed quiet and kept away from them. Some of the words made no sense like "reaching 4th tier soon" or "need a better breakthrough." Lind held his tongue though, only wishing to not be a problem for his own mother.
Despite the coldness to Lind, the 3 remained somewhat respectful to his mother aside from the man's glances. Lind felt anger flare, but he buried it. Even in his old life, stopping lecherous men from looking at women was impossible. Only if they acted inappropriately could one act. It irked Lind, but he was not a god. He could as soon stop all the rain drops in a storm as stop people from looking at each other. Also, the man never moved closer to his mother, nor said anything inappropriate.
He could see his mother was aware of his look and did not like it, but she remained professional. Lind quietly waited till his mother signaled him to help as she had previously. Lind saw a few nights flares and a granite root laid out on the preparation slab by the cauldron. Lind knew to carefully pull apart the buds of the flares and then the root would be difficult to strain apart but he could do it far more easily with his tiny hands.
The instant Lind moved to help, the man was before him glaring down at him.
"I do not recall useless creatures being needed to help in alchemy. Surely someone like you would be better put to work in a mine or hauling out the trash like you are!" Lind was shocked at the coldness in that adult man's voice. He had been ignored for years, but Lind assumed it was the ignoring of a child to let them play or do whatever children wished to do. His 5th year had been mostly a step forward to being helpful.
The cold looks on the 2 women softened a bit, but instead of admonishing him, they made it worse.
"Tian, you should not bother with it. Just ignore it like we do the others. They are wastes of resources and food. You cannot harm it though, Grand Master's orders stand." They all 3 looked at Lind as if he was the scum on the bottom of their shoes. His mother looked horrified but Lind saw anger surging and then he did something he should not have done.
"I want to help my mother, please let me help her." He was hurting, but he did not want to drag his mother into this if he could avoid it. Lind did not understand what this was, but he knew his mother was not of high standing compared to these people.
Lind thought his words would be enough, but then the world tilted as his back suddenly felt sharp stabbing pains. He knew the oven was behind him, thankfully cold, but the metal handles had likely slammed into his body as he was flung back by the slap. How strong was the man to fling him so easily? Lind had barely registered he was slapped before he hit the oven.
Tears threatened but then warm arms came around him. He felt wet drops falling on his head and could hear muffled shouts only due to his ears being covered by his mother's arms. She was humming to him and he fiercely held on to her and kept his crying from slipping out.
"You have struck my son. I no longer can fulfill your request. Please leave my courtyard." Lind heard his mother's voice clearly. He had never heard so much rage in it before. Lind looked up and saw tears flowing down her face but she looked only at him and smiled. Lind felt guilty. He had not understood the situation and made it worse!
"You dare, harlot?!" The man, Tian, now screamed but then Lind heard a single female voice.
"STOP YOU MORON! If you do anything to Mira or her son we will be exiled from the clan!" What did those words mean? Why would his mother bow to these people if Lind and she were protected?
"She is the whore that birthed that useless wretch! He does nothing, he is worth nothing! Why should we tolerate another useless wastrel in our clan?!" Tian was screaming but Lind realized that he was not entirely wrong. Lind was only 5, but he could now do chores around the courtyard. He was able to help in the herb garden, but what was that for aside from helping his mother?
Lind could not forgive the insults to his mother, but his emotions were all over the place due to fear, pain, and anger. His mother's arms tightened around him and he felt her love. She loved him with all she had. Lind had never doubted and never would.
"My son is a good boy! He is a kind boy! He is always helping me and he is willing to be of use to the clan! Never insult him in my presence ever again!" Lind then saw Tian looming over them with a raised hand, but then Lind saw something impossible to explain.
The man was fairly large, well muscled clearly even with robes covering him, but the taller of the 2 women who was very slim, easily subdued him with strength. Her arm was not even a third of his, yet she overpowered him! What was going on?!
Lind wanted to focus on the mystery but the screaming and yelling finally loosed the crying he tried to withhold. His tears flowed as his body shook. For the first time, the cold eyes of the 2 women softened while looking at him. Only now, did they see a little boy and his mother before them.
"We are leaving, now." The shorter woman bowed to Lind and his mother before dragging the man Tian between them. He seemed unable to overcome their strength. The oddity was missed by Lind as his roiling emotions were eventually soothed by his mother. His adult memories also helped, but only just.
Eventually, he escaped to the garden. There was no sunlight, but it fit his mood. He simply lay there looking up at the sky and almost wished it would rain or at least storm a bit. Lind had never missed the internet and videogames as much as now. His thoughts spiraled back to the words that Tian spoke, wanting to deny them, but Lind knew there was a truth in them.
This was not Earth, a child was only a child until they could begin to assist in the house. His mother's actions and lessons were clear on that. It is part of why he volunteered to help out. He was still restricted and obviously there were things he could not do, but it was not just his mother that he should be helping, but the clan that housed them.
Ugly and harsh though it was delivered, Lind realized he had no idea what he would be doing for education or even a possible job. He had his old life's knowledge to help, but it was severely limited by the differences of this new world. Knowing how to troubleshoot a computer was absolutely useless here. He did not like feeling useless.
"Lind?" A gentle voice reached his ears as he slowly sat up and saw the troubled face of Granny. He knew his face looked bad with blotches from his crying, but Lind could not find the need to care too much. He was feeling a bit hollow. As he looked at Granny though, he realized he could maybe get an answer to his worries.
"Granny, am I really a useless wretch for the clan?" His voice trembled and he saw concern flash in her eyes. She needed the cane to move long distances, but he saw her quickly sweep him up into a hug much like his mother's. Her arms were surprisingly strong, but it felt pretty good.
"You are not! You are never that Lind! Who told you that?" Lind almost gave into the urge to tattle, but he swallowed it. He did not know the full details and by the words of the other 2 women, his family was in some way protected. He shook his head and then began to vent out his thoughts.
"It does not matter because I know I am supposed to do more. I barely help mom with gathering, but that is all I do. The rest of the time I can play or listen to mom's singing. I can come talk with you too, but I love that also. I am little but I should be doing more shouldn't I?" It was the feeling he got. Lind felt it and his old instincts screamed at him as his mother's face flashed in his eyes.
His mother's dark green eyes had flashed with frustration not at just the hurtful words, but at their accuracy. Lind had learned to read his mother very well in only 5 years, but he doubted she noticed. Lind had been no history buff back on Earth, but even a passing novice knew that long ago, children were expected to do a lot more than they did in modern times. It was necessary due to the lack of technology and support. The world here seemed closer to that, so Lind knew he should be doing more. He just did not know what or how.
Granny was patting his head as she rocked him back and forth. Her lack of denial that he should be doing more confirmed his hypothesis. He was being protected. His mother was protecting him from the rest of the clan, but he could not hide forever, nor should he be useless.
"Your mother may not want you to help the clan Lind, did you think of this?" Granny asked a question of him. Lind had found Granny to be good at making him think through things sometimes. They talked about everything Lind knew about but Granny would sometimes lay out a hypothetical scenario and ask Lind to walk through it. He loved word puzzles like that as much as he loved physical puzzles.
"She loves me and I love her, but she has done so much and I have barely returned her effort. If I can do more, I will be happy to try. I want to try! Is there anything you can think of for me to do, Granny?" Lind only hoped for guidance to convince his mother but he saw Granny look suddenly very serious at him. She seemed to be measuring him to within an inch of his life. He felt even a bit heavy in his body for some reason.
It stopped very quickly, but Lind felt a cold sweat on his back despite still feeling the warmth of the hug. He waited for her verdict.
"Very well. I will talk with Mira and the Grand Master. Do not regret this Lind, and I hope we can still meet now and again in the future." Her last words had a smirk as she patted his head one more time before walking towards his courtyard. Granny was going to talk to his mother! What would the future bring now?
Lind felt a bit of fear and excitement, but he kept it under a leash with his focus. He wanted to prove he was able to help and thereby prove his mother's words as true. He wanted her to be proud of him! He wanted Granny to be proud of him. Lind only hoped he was able to do something with his tiny body until he could get stronger when he was older.