House of The Dragon season 2 episode 6 “Smallfolk” gave us a lot, from Rhaenyra and Alicent parallels to four full-grown dragons and a baby dragon! But did you notice the dragon that wasn’t there and still made his presence felt? Is there already a dragon in the Vale?
Spoilers ahead!
In House of the Dragon season 2 episode 3, “The Burning Mill,” after the failed assassination attempt on her life, Rhaenyra Targaryen dispatches her step-daughter Rhaena along with some dragon eggs and her three younger sons, Joffrey, Aegon, and Viserys to the Vale, for safety. The Lady of the Vale, Jeyne Arryn, had agreed to support the Blacks in exchange for dragons that would protect her realm from above. However, when Rhaena shows up with two dragon hatchlings, Lady Jeyne Arryn is not pleased at being thus cheated.
However, it looks like Lady Jeyne might’ve indulged in some manipulation of the truth of her own. Because as Rhaena finds out in episode 6, during a walk with Joffrey, there’s already a dragon in the Vale.
But what dragon is in The Vale?
It’s a question worth asking since according to the books, all the wild or unclaimed dragons are on the Dragonmont at Dragonstone. The Targaryen princes Joffrey and Aegon do have dragons of their own, named Tyraxes and Stromcloud, respectively, but they’re just babies. In fact, the baby dragon we glimpse in the scene where Rhaena confronts Lady Arryn about her lie is a young Stormcloud, the dragon hatched to Prince Aegon.
So then, what other dragon has gone as far as the Vale?
The answer might lie in the carnage that the dragon has left behind. From the massive burn radius and the sheep carcass lying in the field, it is obvious that the dragon in question is Sheepstealer, a muddy brown, male, wild dragon that is not only fully grown but also capable of much damage. He was named so because he loved mutton and would often devour the smallfolk’s sheep.
In the books, a young girl called Nettles claims Sheepstealer and becomes his one and only rider. But Nettles is from Driftmark and the whole thing claiming of the dragon takes place on Dragonstone. So what does it mean that Sheepstealer is in The Vale and Rhaena is the one to spot it in the show? Well, it could mean that the fan favourite character of Nettles might not be making an appearance in HOTD after all.
Who is the rider of Sheepstealer?
The claiming of the dragons and rise of the new dragon riders, known as the Sowing of the Seeds, is presented differently in the series. In House of the Dragon, we see Jace and Rhaenyra personally tracking Targaryen lineage and inviting people to dragonrider tryouts.
However, in Fire & Blood, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon sends out summons across the kingdom to any dragonseeds (those not of royal birth but having Targaryen or Velaryon lineage) who would like to try and claim the dragons to come to Dragonstone and try their luck. Many try to tame Sheepstealer, and he racks up a high body count—the highest amongst all dragons trying to get claimed. But finally, Nettles manages to claim him.
The problem for the Blacks in House of The Dragon is that there are not enough dragon riders. The problem for the makers of House of The Dragon is that there are too many characters to incorporate. And that’s why, it looks like Rhaena Targaryen and Nettles might be merged into one character, with Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer instead of a dragon egg hatching to her and giving her the dragon Morning, a dragon with pale pink scales, as is in the books.
What are the implications of no Nettles and Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer?
Well, for starters, it’s one less character for the writers to work on and for us to remember. But the other implications are far bigger, and frankly intriguing to ponder.
Sheepstealer, a large, formidable dragon, has an important part to play in the upcoming Battle of the Gullet. And claiming him means Rhaena Targaryen, who has so far not had much to do, will swoop in on her newly claimed mount, and save the day for the Blacks and her Queen. As per the books, Rhaena Targaryen is also the last known dragonrider before Daenerys Targaryen. So yay for Rhaena!
But there’s plenty to feel sad about the fact that we won’t get Nettles. You see, Nettles was a foul-mouthed, rowdy, badass lass and the conditions of her birth were uncertain. She didn’t even have the Targaryen hair. The way she claimed Sheepstealer had less to do with her blood and more to do with her cleverness—she kept leaving a sheep a day for the dragon, thus acclimatising Sheepstealer to her human presence until the day she finally claimed him.
Many believe that Nettles being able to claim a dragon punched a big hole in the Targaryen claim that only Valyrian blood could be dragonriders.
Furthermore, in the books, her character had a close relationship with Daemon Targaryen, and certain incidents that occurred between them contributed to Rhaenyra’s strained relationship with Daemon and her losing her mind. The books also do not mention how Nettles or Sheepstealer may have died, with possible rumours that they survived the war.
The choice of not having Nettles and merging her character with Rhaena in House of The Dragon is logistically a smart decision, and might look iconic on screen when she flies in on Sheepstealer like a boss lady. But book fans are not going to be happy!
Keep your eyes peeled for a muddy brown dragon in the sky, y’all!
Published: Jul 22, 2024 01:59 pm