We never see Smallfolk rising and mattering, bar Varys and Hedgeknights/Sellswords... I wanted to go a different route.

Oddly Samwell Tarly was my inspiration for this story...

So was Oberyn... and a specific story of his.


Three years before Canon

It was not easy being a member of the Smallfolk, that was a fact that Winn knew well. Life was miserable and cold, a tired set of endless days of work and little reward. Even in the North, where Lord Stark was a generous employer and master who cared for his people. Of course, Winn could not entirely complain, the Smallfolk of Winterfell were allowed access to the tomes of Winterfell, the great library. He spent many hours there, reading and mastering all he could. He would never be allowed to follow his dreams, his ambition to become a maester, so this was the best he could do to satisfy the itch within, the urge to swallow whole as much knowledge as his mind was capable of. Being one of the few literate servants of Winterfell, he had little to stop him from learning to his hearts content bar the endless work.

He spent most of his time, sometimes up to twelve hours a day, working his hands to the bone cleaning the halls of Winterfell. He had no specific tasks, he was not the child of any servant or anyone that mattered within the halls of Winterfell. He did not inherit any task, and so he filled the spots of anyone that was sick, ill or absent. Any task that was needed to be filled. Sometimes he cleaned, or cooked, or helped with the carving of animals. Anything that was needed. At twelve he had more skilled than most adults in their forties.

He had moved to Winterfell three years previously, having previously lived in Kingslanding until he was nine. Life was a strange thing, having lived in both, the Frigid air of the North, the stoic people, the less callous nature of those he met. He was not looked at with contempt in the North, he was not hated, hurt or mistreated... however, he was not loved, praised or cared for. He was simply a number, one of many and that... was oddly a relief when compared to the vicious nature of Kingslanding.

It was in this grey area that he made his life what it was, having begged the local people for work when he was orphaned after his father died of an infection. With a flexibility he had no idea how he developed, he spent his days alternated between work and study, desperate to make himself as happy and peaceful as possible. He could never become a Knight, he had no interest in the Wall knowing it's truth from his father, the idea of becoming a septa was laughable and he was sure he would never be accepted by the maesters. He had to make due with his life as it was.

And yet... he craved it, completion... he wanted to be more, be better... he was desperate to make an impact, and to rise above his status.

Which was why he studied, outside of his love for learning, hoping to one day rise to something more... it was unlikely but it was all he had... so, naturally, it was in this pursuit of more that his ambitions found themselves more than a flimsy dream.

"That is the fourth book in herblore you have read in the last week."

Winn jumped, turning from his book to glare at the man that startled him only to see that it was Maester Luwin. Stuttering, he wasn't sure what to do. "I am sorry, um..."

Luwin laughed. "It is alright, I snuck up on you. Tell me boy, what bears your interest in Herblore?" the man sat next to Winn, smiling.

"Well... I want to be a Maester and it is a part of that. Healing I mean, herbs are a large piece of that. There is not much for me, as a commoner, and being a maester would be of great value. I could help people, make an impact." That he would never go hungry again, have some power and would have unending access to knowledge was left unsaid. "I am just unsure of how to become a maester, reading seems like it would be a big help though."

Luwin nodded, his eyes soft. "Who taught you to read, you've gone through hundreds of books in the last three years. I know, I've been watching you."

"My mother, she was the daughter of a merchant... and my father was a builder in Kingslanding."

"Ahh, that would do it. Tell me, if given the chance, would you become a Maester?"

The boy smiled, his eyes wide. "Nothing would or could make me happier!"

"I am an old man, child, very old. One day, my knowledge will pass with me out of this world. It would mean a great deal to me if I had a hand in training my eventual replacement." The boy all but jumped at those words. "You would not be without duties, before you are sent out. Think of yourself as my page, my steward. You would assist me in many tasks, especially as you gain skill, such as helping me deliver children, tend to the sick, write letters, cultivate the gardens and so on. Does this sound like something you would be interested in?"

Winn's neck nearly broke, he nodded so hard. "I would be beyond honored!"

"Then so be it. I will have you moved into new quarters and we will begin your education tomorrow. Prepare for brutal training, I expect you to act the part of a Maester long before I send you to the Citadel... and yes, one day, perhaps on your sixteenth birthday, you will go to the Citadel to train. Now, enough of this. It is time for you to rest, you have been studying for hours and it is well into the night. Sleep is needed now."

Standing, the boy placed the book back on the sheif and started away, only to stop. "Maester Luwein... why me?"

"You can read and you are dedicated to learning. I considered having you trained months ago, but I wanted to see if you were dedicated in all your tasks, and so I spoke to your fellow servants. Many had wonderful things to say. Quiet, diligent and organized, You seemed the perfect candidate."

Nodding the boy offered a smile. "Thank you, for giving me a chance despite my birth."

"I am a maester, we are a rather egalitarian people. Now go. it is time for sleep. There will be time for conversation in the morning."


Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was a tad choppy, a bit too telly but the concept is excellent.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.