6 Chapter - 6

After having my breakfast, I accompany Lord Stark to his solar to address the matter at hand. He looks at me with a stern expression and poses his question.

"Your answer yesterday about your plans made it seem like you're just wandering from place to place."

I shrug, "That's pretty much it."

"Do you want to stay in Winterfell?" he asks in a serious tone.

"I might consider staying, but I have something I want to do, and I need your permission for that," I reply.

"What do you want to do?" he asks.

I responded confidently, "I want to set up a house of healing and provide medical care to those who are injured or sick."

Lord Stark ponders my answer for a moment before speaking with a touch of sarcasm, "And you plan to do this purely out of the kindness of your heart?"

Anticipating his reaction, I reply, "While I would never turn away someone in dire need of my healing, I do need to make a living. Therefore, I would charge a small fee for my services to those who can afford it. However, I'm open to suggestions, Lord Stark. Perhaps you could kindly suggest a reasonable fee for my services, as this is an uncommon case, and I'm not aware of the standard charges for such services in Winterfell."

"Before we delve into any discussions of fees," Lord Stark declares with a note of caution, "You will need to demonstrate your healing in front of Maester Luwin and answer any questions he may have for you. He is the castle's foremost authority on the art of healing."

Lord Stark continues, his brow furrowed in contemplation, "Should Maester Luwin find nothing amiss with your methods, I will grant you a manse near the castle to set up your house of healing."

I respectfully nod, "That sounds fair, Lord Stark."

"Best get this done immediately," Lord Stark declares, rising from his seat. He gestures for me to follow him to Maester Luwin's chambers.

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Maester Luwin awaits our arrival in the castle's grand library, surrounded by shelves of books and scrolls. Upon my introduction, I can't help but feel a sense of familiarity, as if I'm participating in some sort of job interview. But unlike my previous interviews, I have knowledge that the Maester could only dream of.

"Could you give me a simple explanation of your healing methods?" Maester Luwin asks with a curious expression.

"I have the ability to channel my energy to heal others," I reply confidently. "By tapping into a person's own natural healing processes, I enhance them and speed up the healing process, bringing relief to injuries and illnesses."

I am aware that my explanation is a watered-down version of my powers, but I don't want to overwhelm the Maester with information he may not understand, such as the concept of cells.

Maester Luwin looks at me skeptically and asks, "Could you demonstrate?"

I reply, "Yes, I can demonstrate. If you have a knife, I can show you how I heal myself."

He looks to Lord Stark for permission, and upon receiving a nod, he reaches into a drawer and pulls out a knife. He hands it to me and I use the knife to make a long cut on my palm. I concentrate, slowing down my regeneration so that Maester Luwin can clearly see the healing process. I don't want everyone to know just yet how fast I can regenerate.

Maester Luwin watches in utter fascination as I demonstrate my powers. He then asks, "How far does the regeneration work? Can you regrow limbs or organs? And do your powers give you knowledge on the anatomy of the human body?"

I reply, "I am not sure if I can regenerate limbs or organs, but my powers have granted me knowledge of the anatomy of the human body. Although the names that my powers give me for the different parts and functions are not ones I have ever heard before." Maester Luwin is taken aback by my response, clearly intrigued by the extent of my powers. He continues to ask questions, eager to learn more about my abilities and how they can be used to help others.

Maester Luwin asked, "Can you tell me about the different organs in the body?"

I go on to explain the different organs in the body and their functions. He asks me various questions about anatomy and I answer with confidence.

"What about herbs?" he enquires.

I pause for a moment, "I have no knowledge of herbs, I have never needed to use them in my healing."

Maester Luwin nods, moving on to more complex questions. These questions may have seemed difficult to someone in this medieval world, but to me, they were concepts I learned back in tenth grade.

"How do you heal diseases?" he asks.

"I have only treated a fever caused by an infected wound that wasn't properly cleaned," I tell him and try to explain the concept of germ theory and bacteria to Maester Luwin.

"So, let me get this straight," says Maester Luwin, "you're saying that if wounds aren't cleaned with alcohol, these invisible insects can enter and cause fever and death?"

"That's right," I nod. "The fever is the body's attempt to kill off the germs. Sometimes it succeeds and the fever goes away, but sometimes it doesn't. Also, the insects aren't invisible they are just smaller than dust so we can't see them"

Maester Luwin is fascinated by this new information and starts writing it down. He begins muttering about how he needs to read more books on anatomy and observe more patients to validate my claims. I am happy to have shared my knowledge and helped Maester Luwin understand the principles of modern medicine. He seems to be the type who genuinely likes to learn, rather than someone who just wants knowledge for the sake of lording it over others.

His enthusiasm somewhat made me want to help him more, but I had no idea how to help him confirm the existence of cells and bacteria. I doubted that I could figure out how to create a microscope anytime soon.

As Maester Luwin and I discuss the intricacies of modern medicine, a serving girl rushes into the room. She announces that there has been an accident in the courtyard, a young boy has been run over by a wagon. We follow her as she leads us outside.

The scene before us is devastating. The boy lies on the ground, his right leg bent at an unnatural angle and his right arm badly mangled. He cries in pain, his voice hoarse from screaming. His mother, who kneels beside him, is crying uncontrollably and a crowd of onlookers stand around helplessly.

I follow Lord Stark as he makes his way next to the boy. I look at Lord Stark, as if asking for permission, and he nods. I get to work.

I kneel down next to the boy and touch his hand. I first put him to sleep before beginning the healing process. As I do this, the boy's mother starts screaming hysterically. I reassure her that he is just asleep and that I am going to heal him.

Seeing her calm down a bit, I continue. I first stop the bleeding and check what needs to be done. The leg is the easiest, it is only dislocated and has a few bruises, so I just set it back in place and move on to his hand.

The boy's hand is a more complicated matter. The most serious issue is that two of his fingers are only hanging on by a thread and are otherwise detached from his hand while the rest of his hand looks like it has gone through a meat grinder. But my powers are pretty broken, so it only takes a few minutes for the boy to look as good as new.

I wipe my face and get up to see the entire crowd staring at me in shock. I ignore them and look at the boy's mother, who is in the same state as the others. "He's fine now. He should wake up in an hour. He'll probably need to eat enough for three people for the next few days though," I say.

After everyone snaps out of the trance they are in, a few guards help move the boy into one of the rooms in the castle and Maester Luwin checks up on the boy. He gives the same verdict I have given and the boy's mother thanks me profusely.

After receiving a nod of approval from Maester Luwin, Lord Stark nods satisfied with my demonstration. He informs me that someone will come to find me later and take me to my new home.

I express my gratitude and as I begin to ponder on my next steps, my stomach growls reminding me of my hunger. I head towards the forest where I know my companions, Fenrir and Skitter, are lurking. Finding them is easy as I always have a sense of their whereabouts. I see Fenrir eagerly devouring a boar while Skitter munches on some leaves.

I decide to join them and with Skitter's help, we start a fire. As the flame crackles, while I cook the meat, I suddenly realize the issue I am faced with. My appetite has increased to the point where I would need to eat six meals a day, and I fear that it may cause a problem in Winterfell where food is scarce during the long, harsh winters.

That's going to be a problem. I consider my options and the first idea that comes to mind is the one I had earlier about incorporating photosynthesis into my skin. Although it's not the best solution, since it's not very sunny in Winterfell and I can't just lay in a field all day, it's the best temporary fix I can think of. I've found ways to make it more efficient, and I was told earlier that summer has just started and the seasons in Westeros last a few years. So, I won't have to deal with winter problems for a few years and have time to come up with a better solution. For now, this will have to do.

I touched the nearest tree and used my powers to analyze it. It took me about an hour to get all the small details and it was time to start experimenting. I started small and created the plant cells on my palm and directed the necessary inputs for the process to begin. It took a few tries until it started working and I could feel the energy being produced in my cells. It was a lot faster and more efficient than eating food, and that was in this dodgy sunlight. I knew of a few ways to make the process more efficient like making use of the carbon dioxide directly from the blood in my veins instead of the air.

A few hours later, I converted most of the skin cells in my arms and shoulders into photovoltaic cells. I was going to observe them for a few days for any adverse effects before covering my entire body with them. Plus I don't have a proper way to store all this energy produced yet so I have to figure that out first if I don't want to waste all that energy.

My initially pale skin still looked the same, unless someone looked very closely they would find a green tint to it.

All of this didn't mean I could just give up on eating, though. I still needed food to get the inputs for photosynthesis to occur. Since I couldn't get them from the ground like trees do, I had to get them from eating normal food. But, I only had to eat about as much food as a normal person does to maintain my enhanced body and continue using my powers.

Done with my tinkering for the day, I smother the fire and rise to my feet. Just as I'm about to go back into the town, Jon and Robb burst into the clearing, their expressions full of excitement.

"El, where have you been?" Jon calls out. "Father told us to show you your new house of healing!"

"Oh, I see," I reply, a smile spreading across my face. "Lead the way, then."

I follow Jon and Robb as they lead me to my new house. It's an old blacksmith's workshop, made of sturdy grey stones, with a sloping roof and a chimney. The building is situated in a prime location, nestled between the castle entrance and the bustling market. I can hear the sounds of people and animals coming from the market and the distant clanging of a blacksmith's hammer. As I look at the workshop, I think to myself, 'Wow, this is some prime real estate.'

I explore the building with Jon and Robb. It has three rooms, and I decided to convert them into a bedroom, a lab, and a clinic. I know I'll have to use all the coin I got from the bandits to buy furniture for the clinic and the bedroom, but I can worry about the lab later.

"Thanks for showing me the place, Jon and Robb," I say as they prepare to leave.

Once they're gone, I start cleaning up. I found a carpenter's workshop nearby and commissioned a bed, a table, and some chairs. I work until nightfall and then call Fenrir and Skitter to my new home. Exhausted from the day's work, I finally go to sleep.