His name was Gad, just Gad. He was a farm boy who lived in Cry Village, in The Vale of Arryn.

Gad's duties consisted of looking after sheep. He would often start his day by waking up, putting on his boots, and splashing some water in his face before putting on his shirt. He then took a clothing bag consisting of a few pieces of bread that were left by his mother. Gad would then wake up the sheep and take them to the pastures outside the village. As he led the sheep he would greet his fellow villager friends.

Usually, he would just go directly to the pastures where his sheep could chew grass, however, today he saw some men dressed in fine and clean clothing coming to the village. He wondered who they were but he supposed that he would find out later.

The sheep ate the grass and the younger sheep ran around and played with each other. Gad simply sat at the stone he usually sat at as he guarded the sheep.

"Gad!" A sweet voice called for him. He turned left and saw his childhood friend coming over. Her beautiful golden hair shone in the sunlight. Her beautiful green eyes

"Mysa," he greeted her nonchalantly which earned him a slap on the shoulder.

"What are you doing woman? Trying to kill me?" She rolled her eyes as he fake an injury.

"Anyway, did you hear about the men?"

"What men?"

"You know the men dressed like nobles."

"Ah, them. Yeah, I passed by them earlier. I didn't know what they wanted though. Are they taking taxes perhaps?"

"They're not. I saw them use a stick about this long...," she used her hands and arms to show him. "And they put it on the ground along with the farms as they counted. And then I saw other men dressed like nobles have their servants put a table and a chair in front of the Village Chief's house and then one by one the village men and women approached him. Then I saw your father being brought in front."

Gad became tense.

"Did they look like they were going to punish him?"

"No, he asked your father what his name was and who lived with him. He recorded the names of your mother and sisters and brothers. Then he asked your father to come up with a family name for himself and his family. And now you have a family name like a nobleman. It's Sheep!" She laughed out loud.

"What?" He couldn't believe his ears.

"Yes, your father said Wood in the beginning but too many others had already chosen that family name and so when he couldn't come up with a family name he just said the first word that came to his mind."

"Well at least I have a family name. How about you?" Gad wondered if Mysa's father had been to the nobleman too.

"My father chose the family name River so now I'm Mysa River."

Mysa River played the name in his mind and it sounded very pretty. Pretty like she was.

"Well, anyway, I thought you might just want to know. I'll go back and milk the cows. See you later Gad Sheep," she laughed and he knew that she wasn't really mocking him but just found his new family name funny. Frankly, he thought it funny too. Seven hells why did his father have to choose such an embarrassing family name.

When he came back he heard from his father that their farmyard was going to be moved. Apparently, the wife of Lord Arryn was making changes when it came to farmland. She wanted to merge the strips together in order to create larger farm fields. And then each farmer would be in charge of one of those fields. Their farmyards would be moved to those fields and by doing so the villagers would no longer live so close to each other. His father was angry about this change but it wasn't like he could do anything. The Arryn's owned the farmland. Hence why they could do anything they wanted it with it. Besides The Arryns were nobles and they were peasants. If they tried to go against the nobles they might get executed. They would simply need to adapt.

Two moons later the villagers found out which field they were in charge of. Because there were ten farmyards there were ten fields. Gad's family received the farm field closest to the pasture where he usually led his sheep to. At least he wouldn't be too far away from his home.

Then the hard part began. The farmyards except for the village chiefs were taken apart and the materials would later be used to build the farmyards at their farm field. Gad's father had taken the opportunity to build a larger farmyard than before. Of course, the noblemen had specifically told them the maximum amount of area they were allowed to expand their farmyard. His father was really taking the changes with enthusiasm.

Everyone helped each other build up their farmyards at their respective farm fields.

Three moons later after the harvest were done. A new change was made. The previous noblemen had everyone from the village gathered at the village square near the Village Chief's farmyard. They showed them through drawings that the farmers were supposed to divide their field into four evenly sized fields. In each of the fields, a different crop would be planted, for example, wheat, turnips, barley, and clover, and these four crops were to rotate. So after the harvest, the field where the clover was planted at there would be wheat planted instead.

For Gad's family, the crops which were to be planted were corn, rice, clover, and potatoes. Mysa's family's crops were wheat, pumpkins, barley, and beans.

Many of the new crops, which were going to be planted, were unheard of among the farmers and they also didn't know how to use the new farming tools hence why the noblemen needed to show them personally how to plant them and also how to use the new tools.

The noblemen also suggested that cow dung, decayed leaves, and ashes should be used as a fertilizer. Many of the farmers were skeptical towards this but only time would prove it to them. And when the next harvest came around many of the farmers were glad when the harvest came out better than ever before and so it seemed that these new farming techniques proved to work.

Lady Arryn was also very generous and gave the individual farmyards one-tenth of their harvest to do whatever they wanted to do with it. So not all harvest ended up at barns or other food storages or at The Eyrie. And some of Gad's fellow villagers decided to sell about two-tenths of the harvest they were allowed to keep at the local market, as otherwise, they would just get spoiled because it was simply too much.

Anyway, it seemed that life would only get better for the farmers at Cry Village and Gad would continue to do his duty and guard the sheep while sometimes enjoying the visits of his childhood friend who also has accepted his proposal of marriage.