‘House of the Dragon’: Vermithor and Silverwing, Explained

Fair warning: there are spoilers ahead! House of the Dragon is finally living up to its title by giving the dragons themselves more screen time. These living war machines are characters in their own right in many ways, and their backgrounds in George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood only enhance the story we’re seeing on screen. Read on for some information about Vermithor, Silverwing, and their past relationships with other dragons.

House of the Dragon first showed us Vermithor in the Season 1 finale when Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) sang a song to him in High Valyrian, which may have been intended to coax the dragon into accepting a new rider. Finally, nearly a season later, that paid off when Vermithor returned to the screen in Season 2, Episode 7, “The Red Sowing.” Many prospective riders lost their lives, but, finally, the blacksmith Hugh (Kieran Bew) was able to bond with Vermithor. His bravery and determination seemed to win the dragon over, but it was less clear why Silverwing accepted Ulf (Tom Bennett).

While Vermithor was rampaging, Ulf panicked and fled deeper into the caves of Dragonstone, where he accidentally stumbled upon Silverwing. The scene was interesting, as Ulf did not display any of the courage or madness that Hugh did, yet Silverwing still lowered her neck. There’s also the matter of the clutch of eggs Ulf stepped on, but that’s for another article. I believe the main reason Silverwing accepted Ulf is because she sensed that Vermithor had accepted a new rider, and she wanted to fly into battle by his side.

Vermithor and Silverwing’s Backstory

Vermithor and Silverwing were nearly always together from the time they hatched. Martin’s history book tells us that Vermithor hatched from an egg that was placed in the cradle next to an infant Jaehaerys Targaryen, while Silverwing hatched from an egg placed in the cradle with his sister and wife, Alysanne. These two became the king and queen of the longest, most peaceful and most prosperous reign in the history of Westeros. They flew their dragons for fun or for travel, often visiting various lords around the Seven Kingdoms to keep the peace and show their strength. They did need to make threats a few times, but they never actually needed to go to battle.

Dragon Loyalty

It’s clear that the dragons share some kind of psychic bond with their riders – though it is not as direct as the link between a warg and their wolf like Jon Snow and Ghost, and the details of the dragon bond are still very mysterious both on the shows and in the books. Fire & Blood suggests that even after a rider dies, the dragon retains some of the loyalties and grudges of that rider. Because dragons live for hundreds of years, this can have huge ripple effects in the story, but in “The Red Sowing” it was pretty wholesome. It seems like Silverwing was eager to take a new rider because her old companion Vermithor was returning to the sky, and she wanted to be beside him.

A similar dynamic was likely at play in the first scene of the episode, when Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) faced down Addam (Clinton Liberty). Addam was chosen by the dragon Seasmoke, who was previously bonded to Laenor (John Macmillan). If Seasmoke still feels the same loyalties as Laenor, it makes sense that he chose Addam who is not only Laenor’s half-brother, but is loyal to Laenor’s former wife Rhaenyra. On top of that, Seasmoke and Rhaenyra’s dragon Syrax would have spent a lot of time together over the years, so the dragons may have been eager to get back together themselves.

Dragons Choose Their Riders

Fans have been uncovering a lot of new subtle connections between different riders of the same dragons across the generations in Martin’s writing lately, especially with the revelations we’ve had on the TV show this season. For example, we now know that Balerion was bonded to Daenys “the Dreamer” Targaryen, who foresaw the Doom of Valyria. That, coupled with the show’s reveal that Aegon I predicted the white walkers and Viserys I also had prophetic dreams, tells us that Balerion likely favored dragons with prescience.

There may be more we can infer along these lines, especially since Jaehaerys and Alysanne get some of the richest characterizations in the book, and by extension so do Vermithor and Silverwing. Hugh seems to share King Jaehaerys’ strong sense of justice and responsibility, as well as a penchant for frustrating his more level-headed wife. Meanwhile, Ulf seems to share Alysanne’s sociable nature and likability – albeit in taverns rather than royal courts. However, with both dragons ready and willing to fly to war, it seems they don’t share Jaehaerys and Alysanne’s dedication to peace throughout the realm.

The Wall

Although it’s unclear if it will play into the story at hand, it would be a crime to write a background on Vermithor and Silverwing without mentioning their visit to the North and The Wall. During the reign of King Jaehaerys I he had scheduled a visit to Winterfell, but had to delay due to an administrative emergency in King’s Landing. Alysanne flew ahead on Silverwing and met with Lord Alaric Stark and his vassals while they waited for the king. Stark even approached the dragon at one point, and was not burned to death.

While in the North, Alysanne took a trip to The Wall on Sliverwing by herself, meeting the men of the Night’s Watch at Castle Black. She wanted to fly even further north to explore, but Silverwing inexplicably refused to fly past The Wall itself. Fans generally assume that this is because of the spells and wards built into The Wall, which not only repel the white walkers but enhance other forms of magic, such as Jon Snow’s warg bond or Melisandre’s prescient fires. Alysanne wrote to Jaehaerys, admitting she was “troubled” by Sliverwing’s reaction to The Wall as she had never refused a command before. Alysanne ended up making a huge contribution to strengthen the Night’s Watch, and they even named a castle after here there.

The Higher Mysteries

If there’s one thing we know in both Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire, not all mysteries will get a clear answer – especially the magical ones. We may never know exactly what passes between dragons and their riders or how the psychic bond is formed, but it’s fun to find subtle connections where we can. It’s a clear sign of the love and care put into this series by the cast and crew of the TV show and the author himself.

House of the Dragon Season 2 concludes on Sunday, Aug. 4 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max. Martin’s books, including Fire & Blood, are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.