Here’s why Phoebe Campbell’s Rhaena decided to leave Vale Castle in House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 8.
Towards the beginning of this season, Rhaenyra orders Rhaena to journey with Joffrey, Viserys, and Aegon to the Vale for safety as war is threatening to break out.
Not long after reaching their destination, Lady Jayne Arryn of The Vale Castle becomes upset that Rhaenyra didn’t send any full-grown dragons to help protect her land. Rhaena grows suspicious, however, questioning why there are scorch marks nearby—suggesting the presence of another dragon.
Arryn admits that a wild dragon named Sheepstealer is about, but it wouldn’t be much help in a fight since no one can ride it.
[ House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 8 Cast, Characters & Actors (Photos) ]
Why Did Rhaena Leave Vale Castle?
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 8.
As Joffrey, Viserys, and Aegon are leaving the Vale Castle to be taken to the Prince of Pentos, Rhaena chooses to go off on her own.
Venturing into the wilderness of the Vale of Arryn, she becomes obsessed with finding this rogue. It is unclear what exactly her hopes may be, but it would make sense if she’s hoping to tame it as her own since she still doesn’t have a dragon to her name.
Rhaena’s personal journey doesn’t go smoothly as she almost gets bested by a lack of water, before luckily stumbling onto a river.
But then, she finally discovers what she’s been looking for this whole time: Sheepstealer, munching on sheep, as it likely does daily.
Sadly for audiences, the show doesn’t show what happens next, as both the dragon and Rhaena lock onto each other, waiting for one or the other to make a move.
[ House of the Dragon Makes 5 Major Changes From Fire and Blood Book In Season 2 Episode 8 ]
Will Rhaena Tame Sheepstealer?
Interestingly enough, Rhaena and Sheepstealer do not have a history in the original book, Fire & Blood.
Instead, a character named Nettles is the one who claims that particular dragon—though, as of now, she doesn’t yet exist in House of the Dragon. In the books, Rhaena actually gets a pink-scaled dragon named Morning.
It seems all but certain that the series intends on changing things, and that Rhaena will be taming Sheepstealer by the time Season 3 arrives. After all, it’s hard to imagine their current encounter ending any other way, other than Rhaena’s death, which probably won’t happen.
Rhaena has always wanted a dragon, though, admittedly, she may have chosen a poor time to grab one. She’s going to quickly be thrown into some big battles, such as the upcoming Battle of the Gullet and the Fall of King’s Landing.
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