Rhaena Targaryen discovers there’s a wild dragon living in the Vale of Arryn in House of the Dragon season 2, which is a major departure for George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book. Unsurprisingly, given its moniker, the Dance of the Dragons features the deaths of numerous dragons and dragonriders, causing major issues for both sides as dragons become the war’s most powerful weapon. However, as Rhaenyra and Jacaerys discussed in season 2, there are still several unclaimed and wild dragons in Westeros that could be bonded with a rider.
Team Black has several dragons already, with Seasmoke, Vermithor, and Silverwing joining their ranks in season 2, but there could be more. Rhaena Targaryen discovers a wild dragons is in the Vale, with Jeyne Arryn revealing he is “large and formidable” and has been burning sheep for food in the area. Rhaena herself comes face to face with it in House of the Dragon season 2’s ending, setting up a bigger role going forward. While the show has yet to confirm its name, Fire & Blood hints at the real identity of the Vale’s wild dragon.
The Wild Dragon In The Vale Is Most Likely Sheepstealer
Sheepstealer Is The Only Wild Dragon Who Is Claimed During The Dance In Fire & Blood
In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, there are three known wild dragons roaming Dragonstone: Grey Ghost, the Cannibal, and Sheepstealer. While Grey Ghost and the Cannibal may still play a role at Dragonstone, though they’ve not appeared yet (and may well be cut entirely), it seems that House of the Dragon has moved Sheepstealer to the Vale.
House of the Dragon season 2 shows this dragon burning and eating flocks of sheep in the vale, thus inspiring Sheepstealer’s name. Plus, Sheepstealer is the only wild dragon who is claimed by a dragonrider in Fire & Blood, which all but confirms that he is the one Rhaena sees in season 2.
It’s unclear how the wild dragon has roamed around the Vale without anyone having alerted the Targaryens, as Sheepstealer was claimed back on Dragonstone in the book. However, it’s now no wonder as to why Jeyne Arryn agreed to protect and host Rhaenyra’s young children and Daemon’s daughter, as she was likely eager to find a rider for Sheepstealer at the Eyrie.
When Rhaena finally sees Sheepstealer in the season 2 finale, they certainly aren’t as large as some of the biggest dragons in House of the Dragon. This is in part due to their age, but also that they’ve obviously been struggling for food, hence roaming to the Vale. However, they are still of fighting size, and bigger than some of the other dragons in the Dance, such as Syrax.
Will Rhaena Claim Sheepstealer? Who Bonds With Him In The Book
Rhaena Will Likely Claim Sheepstealer, But He Bonds With A Different Character In Fire & Blood
While some bastards are now dragonriders, such as Hugh Hammer claiming Vermithor and Ulf White bonding with Silvering, the wild dragon’s rider looks set to be a highborn Targaryen. It now seems very likely that Rhaena Targaryen will claim Sheepstealer in the show. Rhaena never hatched a dragon egg and was previously unsuccessful in trying to claim the dragons at Dragonstone, so Sheepstealer may finally be the one to take her as a rider.
However, Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer would change two big dragon storylines from Fire & Blood. Rhaena finally gets a dragon when her egg hatches at the Vale in the book, giving her the pink-scaled dragon Morning. While Rhaena’s dragon is still extremely young and small throughout the Dance, hatching Morning is an important part of her narrative in the novel. Additionally, an entirely different character claims Sheepstealer in the book, a “dragonseed” hailing from Driftmark.
With the wild dragon now making his home in the Vale, it seems likely that Nettles is being cut from House of the Dragon in favor of Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer.
In Fire & Blood, Sheepstealer is claimed by Nettles, a fearless bastard teenage girl who took up Prince Jacaerys’ call for dragonseeds to try mastering dragons. It’s explained that Nettles is able to bond with Sheepstealer by bringing him slaughtered sheep to eat each morning, with the two becoming major players for Rhaenyra and Team Black’s war strategy. However, with the wild dragon now making his home in the Vale, it seems likely that Nettles is being cut from House of the Dragon in favor of Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer.
It’s technically stlll possible for Nettles to appear, but since the sowing of the dragonseeds seems to be done with, it would be strange to have her enter the story and claim Sheepstealer in House of the Dragon season 3. Since season 2 ends with Rhaena coming face to face with the wild dragon, then it is very overtly setting up her claiming the dragon and joining back up with Team Black in the civil war.
What Happens To Sheepstealer
Sheepstealer’s Fate Is Left Ambiguous In Fire & Blood
Sheepstealer’s fate is one of the greatest mysteries left by Fire & Blood. The book ends just five years after the arguably winner-less Dance of the Dragons is over, so not every surviving character is given a conclusive fate. While Sheepstealer and Nettles fight for Rhaenyra in the book, the Queen becomes suspicious of her dragonriders after Hugh Hammer and Ulf White betray her. Daemon then sends Nettles and Sheepstealer away from Maidenpool to flee Rhaenyra’s wrath, with the two disappearing for the remainder of the war.
After Queen Rhaenyra dies and King Aegon II Targaryen takes King’s Landing back, he hears reports about Nettles and Sheepstealer being sighted in the Vale of Arryn. Mountain clans even tell stories about a “fire witch” who lived in the Vale with her dragon, suggesting the two may have hidden there after the war. Since there’s no conclusive record of when or how Sheepstealer dies in Fire & Blood, there’s hope that House of the Dragon will finally be able to solve this mystery.