What was Dearbhla's son's childhood like?

Dearbhla brought her son and a wet nurse to share a closet next to the nursery when the mistress of the plantation died giving birth to a little girl. During those years, Dearbhla's son was like an older sibling to that little girl and her older brothers. He would help her herd them to the stream to fish; to collect herbs, roots, and berries in fields and forests; and learn what Dearbhla called "woods sense" (66). Later the boy slept in the master's son's rooms seeing to their clothes and slops. He helped their tutor keep track of books and slates. He learned the lesson well enough to help the younger boy when the tutor taught the older one. When the brothers were sent off to board at a military school, he was indentured at the age of 12 to the stable master.