House of the Dragon Season 2 is almost finished, but the war is getting more and more intense. In Episode 7, we saw more dragons joining the forces, but you will be surprised to find out that they won't be the only ones. In the promo for Episode 8, we finally saw Tessarion make her appearance. However, one dragon has been teased for a while now. There were signs of a beast in the Vale, and in Episode 6, Jeyne Arryn confirmed a wild dragon is roaming the Vale.
What's more interesting is that HBO will be changing the original storyline by giving a new rider to that wild dragon. Find out more about it below!
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Who is the Dragon in the Vale?
The dragon that is roaming the Vale is Sheepstealer.
Sheepstealer is a male dragon with an "ugly mud brown" color. He is a wild dragon with a slender build, similar in size to Silverwing but smaller than Vermithor. Although he is generally harmless to people, he can be ill-tempered when provoked. His name comes from his taste for mutton.
Sheepstealer has been mentioned a few times in HOTD. In the first season, Daemon said there are three wild dragons roaming Dragonstone unclaimed: Vermithor, Silverwing, and Sheepstealer. However, as Lady Arryn mentioned, the wild male broadened his territory in the search for food, which led him to the Vale.
It is said that Sheepstealer hatched when the Old King Jaehaerys was still young. Although his exact age is difficult to calculate, he is younger than Vermithor. After not finding a rider in his early years, Sheepstealer remained unclaimed and wild.
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Sheepstealer's Rider in the Books and in the Show
In the books, Sheepstealer was actually present at the "Sowing," also known as the moment Jacaerys Velaryon called dragonseeds to try and claim the free dragons. At that time, Sheepstealer killed the most people out of all four dragons and did not allow any of the candidates to claim him. In fact, he even burned Alyn of Hull to death when he tried to claim him.
However, Sheepstealer does get a rider later on. A bastard girl named Nettles found a way to tame him by giving him killed sheep every morning. After the dragon became accustomed to her presence, Nettles was able to claim him. The two of them fought on Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's side.
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As you might have noticed, HBO has not introduced a character named Nettles, and it seems they chose to leave her out of the story. With this decision, they leave Sheepstealer without his original rider. However, it is clear that they have chosen a different dragonrider and have been adjusting the story to set up their bonding.
As you know, Rhaena couldn't claim any of the wild dragons. In the books, her dragon is one of the small young ones that hatched from the eggs she was transporting. However, it is clear that she will now have the chance to claim Sheepstealer. One reason is that although he was in the Vale at some point, originally it was not during the period when Rhaena and Rhaenyra's children were Jeyne Arryn's guests.
Furthermore, with Nettles not being included in HOTD and Sheepstealer's absence during the "Sowing," a new rider should be in store for him—more specifically, Rhaena.
Make sure to check our website for more interesting House of the Dragon content and news about other shows you like! Here are some articles you might like:
- All Dragons in House of the Dragon Season 1 and Season 2
- Tessarion is Coming to HOTD in the Season 2 Finale
- Did Aegon and Sunfyre Die in HOTD Season 2 Episode 4? What Happened in the Books?
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