A Game of Thrones 4-Book Bundle

and down. “Man wants to bed a
woman, seems like he ought to take her to wife. That’s what I do.” He shooed
Jon off with a wave. “Well, run and do your service, bastard, and see that axe
is good and sharp now, I’ve no use for dull steel.”
    Jon Snow bowed stiffly and took his leave. Ser Ottyn Wythers was coming in as
he was leaving, and they almost collided at the deerhide door. Outside, the
rain seemed to have slackened. Tents had gone up all over the compound. Jon
could see the tops of others under the trees.
    Dolorous Edd was feeding the horses. “Give the wildling an axe, why not?” He
pointed out Mormont’s weapon, a short-hafted battle-axe with gold scrollwork
inlaid on the black steel blade. “He’ll give it back, I vow. Buried in the Old
Bear’s skull, like

as not. Why not give him
all
our axes, and our swords as well? I
mislike the way they clank and rattle as we ride. We’d travel faster without
them, straight to hell’s door. Does it rain in hell, I wonder? Perhaps Craster
would like a nice hat instead.”
    Jon smiled. “He wants an axe. And wine as well.”
    â€œSee, the Old Bear’s clever. If we get the wildling well and truly drunk,
perhaps he’ll only cut off an ear when he tries to slay us with that axe. I
have two ears but only one head.”
    â€œSmallwood says Craster is a friend to the Watch.”
    â€œDo you know the difference between a wildling who’s a friend to the Watch and
one who’s not?” asked the dour squire. “Our enemies leave our bodies for the
crows and the wolves. Our friends bury us in secret graves. I wonder how long
that bear’s been nailed up on that gate, and what Craster had there before we
came hallooing?” Edd looked at the axe doubtfully, the rain running down his
long face. “Is it dry in there?”
    â€œDrier than out here.”
    â€œIf I lurk about after, not too close to the fire, belike they’ll take no note
of me till morn. The ones under his roof will be the first he murders, but at
least we’ll die dry.”
    Jon had to laugh. “Craster’s one man. We’re two hundred. I doubt he’ll murder
anyone.”
    â€œYou cheer me,” said Edd, sounding utterly morose. “And besides, there’s
much to be said for a good sharp axe. I’d hate to be murdered with a maul. I
saw a man hit in the brow with a maul once. Scarce split the skin at all, but
his head turned

mushy and swelled up big as a gourd, only purply-red. A comely man, but he died
ugly. It’s good that we’re not giving them mauls.” Edd walked away shaking his
head, his sodden black cloak shedding rain behind him.
    Jon got the horses fed before he stopped to think of his own supper. He was
wondering where to find Sam when he heard a shout of fear.
“Wolf!”
He sprinted around the hall toward the cry, the earth sucking at his boots. One
of Craster’s women was backed up against the mud-spattered wall of the keep.
“Keep away,” she was shouting at Ghost. “You keep away!” The direwolf had a
rabbit in his mouth and another dead and bloody on the ground before him. “Get
it away, m’lord,” she pleaded when she saw him.
    â€œHe won’t hurt you.” He knew at once what had happened; a wooden hutch, its
slats shattered, lay on its side in the wet grass. “He must have been hungry.
We haven’t seen much game.” Jon whistled. The direwolf bolted down the rabbit,
crunching the small bones between his teeth, and padded over to him.
    The woman regarded them with nervous eyes. She was younger than he’d thought at
first. A girl of fifteen or sixteen years, he judged, dark hair plastered
across a gaunt face by the falling rain, her bare feet muddy to the ankles. The
body under the sewn skins was showing in the early turns of pregnancy. “Are
you one of Craster’s daughters?” he asked.
    She put a hand over her belly. “Wife now.” Edging away from the wolf, she
knelt mournfully beside the broken hutch. “I was going to breed them rabbits.
There’s no sheep left.”
    â€œThe Watch will make good for them.” Jon had no coin of his own, or he
would have offered it to her . . . though he was not sure what
good a few coppers or even a silver piece would do her beyond the Wall. “I’ll
speak to Lord