Getting Ready For House of The Dragon : Meet The Dragons – Part 4

It is said that dragons are fire made flesh. Great heat emanates from dragons’ bodies, to the point that they steam during cold nights. Dragons only eat cooked meat, and use the extremely hot dragonflame which they breathe to cook their meat before eating it. Today’s article is a continuation of Wiki of Thrones special ‘Getting Ready For House of The Dragon’ segment. For the next few days, here at Wiki of Thrones, you’ll find information about various dragons that might appear on the prequel series. If we missed your favourite dragon, do not worry, leave a comment below and we’ll cover your beloved beast in the next issue!

Today’s post covers three important dragons from the Dance of The Dragons lore – Silverwing, Tessarion and Moondancer. They are most certainly to appear in the upcoming prequel.

1. Silverwing

Queen Alysanne by Trishkell

Silverwing was a silvery she-dragon of House Targaryen. She was ridden by Queen Alysanne Targaryen, and later by Ulf White during the Dance of the Dragons. She hatched from a dragon’s egg that had been placed in the cradle of Alysanne by her sister Rhaena, in 36 AC.

Silverwing contributed her flames to the funeral pyre of King Aenys I Targaryen, together with the dragons Quicksilver and Vermithor. By 48 AC, Alysanne had become a dragonrider by flying on Silverwing. She aided her brother Jaeherys to claim the Iron Throne flying on the dragon.

In 54 AC, Alysanne flew Silverwing to Oldtown for the funeral of the High Septon. The dragon alighted atop the Hightower, fanning the flames of the tower’s beacon with her wings, which made the city gasp. At the end of the year, when Rhaena flew to King’s Landing in search of her missing daughter Aerea, Silverwing and Vermithor rose up and roared at Dreamfyre’s arrival, and those watching were afraid the dragons would fight.

In 56 AC, when the Targaryens began to house dragons in the Dragonpit, Silverwing and Vermithor did not join Balerion and three younger dragons, but instead remained at the Red Keep, where they would be close to their riders.

In 58 AC, Alysanne flew Silverwing to White Harbor, Winterfell, and later the Wall, on a planned royal progress that Jaehaerys was initially unable to accompany due to duties in King’s Landing.

At Castle Black, the men of the Night’s Watch were as awed by Silverwing as the people of White Harbor had been, but Alysanne noted that Silverwing “does not like this Wall.” The dragon would hiss and snap at every chilly gust of wind coming down from the Wall. Alysanne attempted on three occasions to fly Silverwing north beyond the Wall, but the dragon refused and veered south every time. Alysanne wrote to Jaehaerys that she was troubled by the fact that Silverwing refused to fly over the Wall, despite never refusing her commands previously. Alysanne later flew Silverwing back to Winterfell to reunite with Jaehaerys, and from there they flew to Torrhen’s Square, Barrowton, and back to King’s Landing.

In 93 AC, Silverwing was ridden by Alysanne for the last time. Alysanne wept as she climbed painfully from her dragon’s back. Silverwing became riderless upon Alysanne’s death in 100 AC.

Silverwing returned to Dragonstone after Alysanne’s death, where she made her lair in one of the smoking caverns of the Dragonmont. She remained there, riderless, until 129 AC. When Prince Jacaerys Velaryon decided that his mother Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen’s faction, the blacks, needed more dragonriders, he sent out a call for men to claim one of the riderless dragons upon Dragonstone, in an event known as the Sowing of the Seeds.

During the Sowing, Silverwing accepted a dragonseed man-at-arms called Ulf the White as her rider. Ulf rode Silverwing to battle in the Battle in the Gullet. Along with Vermithor, Sheepstealer, Vermax, and Seasmoke, Silverwing descended upon the ninety warships sailing under the banners of the Three Daughters. Ulf rode Silverwing into battle during the first battle at Tumbleton. Ulf and fellow dragonseed Hugh Hammer, who had claimed Vermithor, changed their allegiance, betraying Rhaenyra in favour of Aegon II Targaryen. Silverwing, Vermithor, and Tessarion, the dragon of Aegon II’s brother Prince Daeron, let loose their flames upon Tumbleton.

During the Second Battle of Tumbleton, Ulf slept through the battle, but even without a rider, Silverwing took to the sky during the battle. At one point, a crossbowman shot a bolt at the dragon. Silverwing avoided further battle and instead circled the battlefield for hours. She descended only again the next day, after the sun had gone down, and landed between the slain Vermithor, Seasmoke, and Tessarion. Silverwing attempted to lift Vermithor’s wing on three occasions. When the sun rose again, Silverwing began to fly listlessly across the field, where she fed on the burned carcasses of men and animals.

Ulf White was poisoned to death after insisting to claim the Iron Throne, which left Silverwing riderless once again. Silverwing was one of only four dragons still alive at the end of the Dance of the Dragons. Although accustomed to men, Silverwing became wild during the reign of Aegon II Targaryen, and made her lair on a small island in Red Lake in the northwest of the Reach. She died there somewhere between 136-153 AC, most probably due to old age.

Silverwing has a pivotal role to play in House of The Dragon and is sure to appear.

2. Tessarion

Tessarion by Caraxesjajaajj

Tessarion, also known as the Blue Queen, was a she-dragon. She was ridden by Prince Daeron Targaryen. She was a beautiful blue she-dragon. Her wings were dark cobalt, while her claws, crest, and belly scales were the colour of bright beaten copper. Her flames were cobalt blue in colour as well.

By 129 AC, Tessarion was of fighting size. During the Dance of the Dragons, she was the youngest dragon of fighting weight belonging to Aegon II Targaryen’s supporters, meaning she was younger than Vhagar, Dreamfyre, and Sunfyre. By 130 AC, Tessarion was one-third in size to Vermithor. A young dragon at the time, Tessarion was nimble in the air.

By 120 AC, Tessarion had bonded with Prince Daeron Targaryen, although Daeron had not yet ridden him at the time. Although unknown when Daeron first flew Tessarion, Daeron had become a dragonrider by 129 AC.

During the Dance of the Dragons, Daeron rode Tessarion into the Battle on the Honeywine in the Reach to save Lord Ormund Hightower and his army. Due to their arrival and participation in the battle, the Hightower army was victorious. Daeron flew upon Tessarion ahead of the main column of the army to scout ahead, which proved invaluable to the southron host. Rhaenyra’s loyalists often fled at the first glimpse of Tessarion, being unwilling to face the dragon’s fire in battle.

Tessarion participated in the first battle of Tumbleton. Tessarion’s rider was killed at the start of the second battle of Tumbleton. Riderless, Tessarion flew up, shrieking and spitting flame, and met Addam Velaryon and Seasmoke in battle. The dragons rushed at one another time and time again and at one point, Tessarion vanished into the clouds, reappearing behind Seasmoke breathing flames. It was said afterwards that the fight between Tessarion and Seasmoke seemed to be more a mating dance than a battle. When Vermithor took to the sky, Addam Velaryon turned Seasmoke towards the older dragon. In their struggle, Tessarion suddenly attacked. The battle between the three dragons had a mortal outcome for all. Seasmoke and Vermithor died early, but Tessarion was the last to die. On three occasions did she try to fly again, but failed every time again. By late afternoon the day after the battle, she seemed to be in pain. At the command of Lord Benjicot Blackwood, Billy Burley, Blackwood’s best archer, shot three arrows into the dying dragon’s eye, killing her.

Tessarion has an important role to play in House of The Dragon, hence is sure to appear.

3. Moondancer

Moondancer and Baela Targaryen by Douglas Wheatley

Moondancer was a young she-dragon, ridden by Lady Baela Targaryen. She was a slender pale green. Her horns, crest and wingbones were pearl. She was very quick, both in the sky and on the ground. Although in 129 AC Moondancer was not yet considered large enough to carry the thirteen-year-old Baela Targaryen upon her back, a year later Baela was able to mount the dragon. At the time, she was no larger than a warhorse and weighed less.

Moondancer remained at Dragonstone with her rider, Lady Baela Targaryen, for most of the first two years of the Dance of the Dragons. When Dragonstone fell to Aegon II Targaryen, Baela was able to evade capture by escaping from her bedchambers as the door was being smashed down. She managed to reach Moondancer in the stable, loosed the dragon’s chains and strapped a saddle onto her. As Aegon II flew Sunfyre over Dragonmont’s smoking peak, planning to land triumphantly in the courtyard of the castle, Baela and Moondancer rose up to meet.

The two dragons fought fiercely in the air. The younger, smaller Moondancer was far more nimble than the half-crippled Sunfyre, and she managed to evade his flames, jaws, and claws for a time, while at the same time wounding Sunfyre heavily on his back and malformed wing. Moondancer was blinded when a blast of Sunfyre’s flames hit her directly in the eyes. Despite the fire, Moondancer advanced on Sunfyre, slamming into him and falling to the ground with him. Although both dragons survived the fall, upon the ground Moondancer’s speed could not defeat Sunfyre’s size and weight. The younger dragon was eventually killed by Sunfyre.

Moondancer is sure to appear as one of the young dragons in House of The Dragon.

Which other dragons would you like to see in House of The Dragon? Tell us in the comments below!

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