35 Changes

I danced and danced concentrating on how my body was moving and feeling the wind. I could kinda understand Aer now. Dancing is far more fun than I previously thought. Strangely enough, I did not feel tired even after a long time has passed and the sun was setting. If I didn´t stop soon my mother would come looking for me. And probably give me a sermon on staying out late? Do parents do that here? I didn´t even get that sermon in my old world.

I stopped dancing and just stood there for a moment feeling the wind that I conjured slowing down and finally vanishing. It felt kinda empty. I took a breath and let out a deep sigh. I wished I could dance longer and a strange yearning to move and leave everything behind me overcame me.

I was surprised. How old am I now? Ten years old, right? Does puberty hit children earlier in this world? I did not feel that way since I was fourteen! And back then I was kinda depressed. Nobody noticed though. I clearly remember the feeling of being constrained and wishing for more wanting to leave everything behind. Back then I also played with the thought of taking my own life. I am not proud of it, but back then my faith saved me, even if my motivation was only to not be rude to God.

I shook off the depressing thoughts and left to make my way to my home. The people were once again gifting me with unpleasant looks, but by now I was more or less used to it and ignored them. I know it is not a solution, but it beats trying to beat a whole village on my own. And I am not alone! Mother will always be there for me and she is the most reliable in this village.

When I entered our house mother was still out. I was not late? No, that was not it mother is late. SO I can surprise her with my own fine cooking skills I developed while living alone in my old world! I unconsciously smiled at that thought and began to prepare the fire. Mother will love this!

I sliced vegetables I found in the forest and sliced them after washing and peeling. First, some onion-looking things together with some animal fat. And from there I added meat and fried it inside the pot. After that, I added vegetable after vegetable to prepare some kind of soup.

I eyed the pot with some suspicion, but there shouldn´t be anything wrong, right? I mean isn´t that a trope, that even the nerdiest guys from Japan know how to make everything from scratch? Even chocolate and miso soup? Sure I don´t know that, but at least it should taste fine, right? It is a trope after all...

"Arn? What are you doing?"

Mother! She is back. I turned and smiled at her.

"Cooking!"

She came closer while sniffing the scent of the cooking pot.

"Cooking?"

I nodded happily.

"Yeah!"

She padded my head.

"That is nice... let me taste this for a second."

I nodded and made a place for mother in front of the fireplace. She scooped some of it with a wooden spoon and tried some of my soup.

"....."

I looked at her expectantly.

"Arn."

"Yes?"

"Get Irvin to teach you cooking, too."

I inlined my head.

"Mom? Is it that bad?"

She shook her head vehemently.

"No, it is not bad! Just..."

I could see, how she was looking for the right words to spare my feelings. So the trope was wrong after all.

"Let´s see if we can... change the taste a little... why don´t you set the table?"

I sighed and left for the table. What exactly was there to set? We had a wooden bowl and spoon for soups and knives for the rest. But in the short amount of time it took me to set the table mother managed to change my soup to something delicious. While eating I was surprised by how much the food changed. Just what did she do to make the soup taste this good?

"Mom?"

I asked while we bother were spooning the soup.

"Why can´t you teach me cooking?"

Mother stopped eating and looked at me.

"I wanted to tell you this a little later."

She sighed and looked severely depressed.

"I am going to war. The Elders informed me about that earlier."

She finally managed to press out.

Wait a moment! Why was mother sent to war? Wasn´t it imperative, that at least one of the parents of a child stays behind and educated the child? And since mother was single wasn´t she exempted from war duties?

"Is it that bad?"

She looked surprised at me.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if they ignore tradition, doesn´t that mean, that the small people are much stronger than they anticipated?"

Or that my dad, who expressed interest in me in the last tournament, chose to be all sneaky. But somehow I frankly doubt that. Wouldn´t that require at least some brains? And since the blessing ceremony didn´t my value basically sink deep down into the ground?

"You are not wrong, Arn."

Ahe started to spoon up the soup again and I followed her lead. After a few spoons, she continued.

"They are persistent and their numbers are no joke."

Yeah, but wasn´t that always the case?

"More importantly the other villages decided to ask for help."

Really? They did?

"That is why all villages will probably send their strongest five or so to the mountains."

Why the mountains? That is what I would say if I didn´t pay attention, but I did. The small people were crossing the mountains even before my birth. That is where their homeland probably is.

"So we are sending an elite team to cut off supply lines?"

Mother stopped spooning and looked at me clearly confused.

"What?"

So they weren´t going to cut off supply? Okay, an elite team for something not directly related to war might be a bad idea. Who knows I surely am no strategy genius, but shouldn´t they have a few forts along the supply line? So elites might be needed?

"Then... are you going to cross the mountains and invade enemy territory?"

In chess that was a bad move and only works on weak players like me or so I think. But this is not chess this is reality. It might work...

"We are attacking them."

Mother stated matter of factly.

"Yes, I got that. But what is the goal in doing so? It can´t be just to kill some soldiers, right?"

Mother looked at me strangely.

"Arn, I don´t know what you are talking about, but how about you speak to Elder Irvin about this? He might have some ideas, about what you are thinking."

Of course. I have to talk to Elder Irvin. I sighed loudly. Very loudly and mother was somehow looking sadly at me.

Then where am I going to stay? I won´t be staying with that guy, right?

I really don´t want to. My father is not a person I want to be close to especially not in exchange for my mother. Then again he was supposed to be the second strongest in the village, so he will probably join the war?

"Who is that guy? You are staying with Irvin."

Elder Irvin again? Somehow this guy has become more important than I originally thought...

I just nodded. Mother was going to leave me and go to war. Even if she is the strongest she doesn´t have any danger sense and might storm into a Balrog just because he looks strong.

"How long will you be gone?"

Mother grimaced sadly.

"I don´t know."

I nodded again.

"When are you going to leave?"

I couldn´t look at her directly anymore. Instead, I stared at the table feeling lost and lonely. I didn´t want her to leave. She was the reason I wanted to stay. And now? She is just going to leave? Without me? Why?

I could hear mother swallow audibly.

"Tommorrow."