AN: No smut. Exploring the canon divergence.
It was evening when they reached Craster's, and the place was surprisingly cosy. The pens were full of sheep, the coups full of hens, and the sty full of pigs.
There were a couple stairs leading up to a small balcony, a railing around it, that led to the hall. There were people outside when they first came in seeing distance. But as they drew close they all rushed back in.
They stopped outside the hall and an old woman came out to meet them and eyed the three mounted visitors and wolf pup suspiciously.
"Greetings," Jon called, still mounted. "I am Jon, and these are my companions. We are travelling north and looking for a place to stay the night."
"Companions, huh?" The woman asked, with a tone he could not recognise. "I am Leila, traveler. There is place inside our hall, but it is not for just anyone to come and claim."
Mya patted the side of her horse where their last hunt is tied and said, "We claim naught, but bring a gift if you would host us for the night."
"If it's a roof over your head you want, you will have it. Long as you keep the peace here." The woman agreed.
"Your roof, your rules." He assented, ignoring the complete absence of Craster or even a mention of him.
"Nella, Dara!" Leila called and two more women came out. "Get the horses."
They did just that and the horses settled and spoke to the girls while ignoring him. He didn't force a conversation and they were brought inside.
Leila sat nearest to the empty chair and they broke bread with stew. There was a tension in the air, as if there was an elephant in the room who'd attack you if you talked about it. He didn't know if he was the elephant or its possible victim.
He inspected the hall carefully. Some children were sequestered in the loft above, but they slowly came down as things remained uneventful. To the back of the hall there was a door to what he assumed was a cellar below.
He thought back to what Munda had told him about this place. Craster had been doing something to his sons, no one knew what, but he would take them to the forest and come back empty handed. Afraid for their sons, his wives started running away when they got pregnant. Some joined other tribes, but they were looked down upon for the incest.
Over the years, they gathered together and formed their own place at the coast of the Highwater river to the north. They had it good for a while as they traded via the river with the various clans and raised their children, both sons and daughters. But one night, Craster came and set their hut on fire. The women ran out of their huts, protecting their children, but they found Craster standing outside, waiting.
The tales did not say how, but he murdered all the boys and carried the girls and women back to his old keep. After that, he'd still use the boats the women had to trade via the river. Going himself at times and sending one of the older women at other times. Though the blatant kinslaying made people reluctant to trade with them. The Night's Watch also traded with him, partly to keep him as a friend who would open his doors for the rangers that far North, and partly for the goods he brought with him.
Jon had tried to reconcile these changes with the absence of the Others and the Wall that he had already noticed.. Why was he still killing his sons? It could be that he just hated the sons for the competition they'd pose when they grew up. Or he found different gods to sacrifice to.
Why did his wives run away when he remembered nothing like that from canon? Possibly without an evident threat of White Walkers his wives had less fear of both Craster and the outside world. Without the cold that came to take a sacrifice, they would have only thought of Craster as a mad and petty man, instead of one that made the hard decisions to protect them in face of actual demons.
But Munda's explanation was still missing a lot of information. Such as where exactly was Craster? And why were there little boys running around?
They were young enough that it was hard to tell them from the girls and much fewer in number, but he was sure of what he saw.
He decided that they had to ask subtle questions, find out as much as they could.
"Where is Craster?" Munda asked Leila while he was still thinking.
Or, we could do that.
"Our husband is out on a hunt." Leila answered amongst the silent animosity that had started to emanate from the other women at that name.
"Will he be back by the morrow?" Mya asked and Jon stayed silent, letting her talk as the women seemed more receptive to his wives. "We were hoping that he'd have a boat for us to cross the Highwater."
Leila exchanged looks with some of the older women, then asked with trepidation.
"Do you mean to enter the haunted forest?"
"We do." Mya answered. "Munda has family on the other side."
Mya nodded in agreement. "My ma's tribe lives in the forest."
"Is that the only reason you're going there?"
"Ahum." Munda agreed absently.
"I'll have someone sent to go find our husband. If the gods allow it, you'll have an answer before you leave."
After the meal, they were given a corner of the hall to lay down their furs. The girls settled on them with Domu, who could not be left in the stables lest he go after the cattle. Jon spied a few women looking at them, but not approaching, so he left the Keep to go see to the horses, hoping that Mya and Munda would learn more in his absence.