4 Little Creatures

All of it from the world to most of the characters belong to George R.R. Martin. Only the OCs and the differences belong to me. Have a good reading.

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4 Years Later

Over the 4 years I started to slowly show my intelligence and my maturity with my talking. And that directly led me to starting my lessons with Maester Harmond years earlier than normal. When I was 3 I already read many of the books in the maester's tower. That led to fill my hollow knowlodge of this world. I was once again grateful that common tongue was english when talking and writing. If not I can't imagine what I would do. And I didn't even stop there I started to learn High and Low Valyrian pf bastard languages. But I was just beginning them. I still had a long way before me

Anyway after father's dead my mother took over her duties as my Regent. Whenever she held court I was shadowing her. Because of this I learned so much more. For example I shouldn't mingle with the smallfolk much. They should respect and fear me and even love me but they should know that I will be a lord above all else. That is why my friends should be knight's sons or knights themselves at the very least. Otherwise smallfolk might get other ideas such as revolting.

Whenever I was free I was in the courtyard where the household knights and men-at-arms would train from morning until they get exhausted. And I would imitate their movements. I was already very tall for my age with all the eating and moving around the castle. And I was pretty sure that when I grow up I would be a fromidable opponent for every fighter out there.

According to Maester Harmond I was a genius. He would always sing my praises after our lessons everyday. I was constantly ahead of him in my studies. And my cousin Robert who is the same age as me will just start his lessons this year. Yet I was taking the lessons for the last 2 years. And thankfully he and I will start our duties as pages. Me for my uncle and him for the master-at-arms of the New Castle Ser Klye Gage.

One other thing I was pleased about was my city. Yes it did not have the numbers for it with 50 thousand people living in it. But it was orderly and clean. But the most pleasing fact about it was the 1 thousand strong City Watch. It made me feel good. And the Lord Commander of the City Watch was my uncle Ser Mandon Manderly. And I would learn from him on how to lead them or generally how to lead men.

Through the years I slowly pieced things together and finally had a clear picture in my mind when I was. The war my father fought in was the First Blackfyre Rebellion led by Daemon Blackfyre. But that was the thing I was most confused about. Because as much as I know, the North wasn't involved in the First Blackfyre. Yet here we were. Whatever. It means that I was close to the Spring Sickness that killed many people including the many Targaryens.

That means, as a harbour my city is vulnerable to the sickness as well. According to the being who sent me here I wouldn't die from sickness. But the same couldn't be said for the people I started to care, over the 5 years. And my city being broken by sickness is something I don't want to see. So I should prepare as much as I can.

That means that maybe I should introduce the germ theory to Maester Harmond. If this piece of knowledge were to spread to through my city and my lands, it would make things easier for everyone included. And if the sickness hit everywhere but here I would get a better standing than the other lords simply because I had more smalfolk alive. And if the sickness doesn't hit my city, the North as a whole wouldn't get sickness as well. That is a good plan. I just need to make sure Maester Harmond doesn't speak of it to the Citadel. And convince mother to use my methods. Now to convince him of my theory is the first step.

That is why I went to Maester Harmond with this theory. "Maester, I think I know why people get sick?" I said when I found him. "People are sick? Lord Willard who is sick? Why didn't I hear about it?" He said worryingly. I chuckled hearing this. "No Maester, nobody is sick. I am speaking generally. People get sick all the time from a variety of things. I am talking about that." I said.

He looked at me with a doubtful expression. And added." So you are telling me you know the reason people get sick?" "I mean I am not entirely sure about it but just think about it Maester. Dying people smell bad right? Or the sick people for that matter. And only dirty things smell bad as much as I know. And the smallfolk die more than the wealthy merchants or the nobles. They smell bad all the time. What if it is because they are dirty? And in dirt there are sicknesses carried over. Huh what do you say?" I said to get his curiosity.

"This doesn't provide an evidence for it. You know it right." He said unconvinced. "Yes I know but I have a way to prove it. But you must help me convince mother with something." I said, knowing he would help me if there is a chance he could quench his thirst for knowledge about what I said. "I need many far-eye glasses. 5 to 10 pieces. Only then can I prove it." I said and waited for him to contemplate it over in his head.

"Alright I will help you. It shouldn't be more expensive than how much allowance you get. I don't think she would refuse you. You are her everything afterall." He said and we started to go for my mother. While on the way I couldn't help but smile at what he said at the end about mother. Over the years I have come to see her like a family. Maybe if father was alive I would see him like that as well. But it is too late for that I guess.

Anyway after telling mother what we discussed. She told me that she would arrange it with one of the Manderly Captains who is headed for Myr. And just like that two months later I had the glasses in my hand. With Maester Harmond and a couple of guards, we went for one of the carpenters' shop in the city. Thankfully this year my mother was finally giving me permission to go out to the city with a household knight and a couple of men-at-arms.

We finally arrived at the shop of the best carpenter in the city. At least that is what people say. And I began to explain to him what I believed to be a microscope vessel for the Myrish far-eye glasses. I didn't need it to be so intricate or for it to work seamlessly. As long as it worked to a degree it was enough to prove my claim.

2 days later it was done. And we put the Myrish far-eye glasses to the right places. After that we put a normal glass under the other glasses to put things on it to see them. And after trying it we were able to see little creatures on the materials that we put on. We tried water, boiled water, ale, vinegar, wine, cooked foods, raw foods, and many other things.

After days of trying things and taking notes of our findings. We came to some findings. For example honey didn't have moving little creatures. Or after boiling liquids, the creatures stopped moving. Vinegar or alcohol didn't have them or had less. After running out of things to try we even tried shit and pee. And there we saw snake like little things.

After those conclusions Maester Harmond went to ask mother if we can try those conclusions on some rapers or murderers. Normally I thought that Maesters hated using humans as test creatures. Then I remembered that they kept many greyscale patients in cells and did whoever knows what. But in the end it was Maester Harmond who proposed to do this. And my mother agreed to it if our findings could do the things we said it would. But I knew that in such a stagnant world such as Westeros, lords wouldn't apply changes easily. But I was not a normal lord. And I could use it to my advantage to grow my city.

Just like that we kept working on it. And since Maester Harmond already believed it to be true. But I didn't need to convince him to not to tell the Citadel of our finding. Because the first thing he said was how it will help House Manderly. And I was satisfied with that response. After that I took him to the Sept of Snows. There we met with the septas and the septons. Since House Manderly was their protectors in the North and I even had a title as Shield of the Faith. I was respected befitting my station.

Then we talked to them of our findings. And told to relay our findings to the smallfolk as if it was said in the Seven Pointed Stars. Such as bathing once a week with boiled and cooled water. Washing your hands after the deeds and before eating. Drinking boiled water or mixed with some vinegar. Not eating things raw. Not leaving your shit around.

Those kind of things They would probably not do those things but when the religion is in it, people would do things they wouldn't normally do. Thanks to the help of the septons and septas I was able to relay it as if it is something they had to do to be able to go to heaven. Septas and Septons probably wouldn't mess with their own religion if not for the benefits of the smallfolk (their own pockets). But they would do it.

Then I started to think how to find soap for use of the smallfolk. But then I found out that lye soap that we use in the New Castle was cheap. And since how to make it is in the known. I will just ask Maester Harmond about it. And then mass-produce it for the smallfolk. While thinking things through I lost track of time. And time flew by.