A Prince of House Targaryen

Bloodraven

195 A.C.

Bryden has always had the strangest dreams of ravens, always dreaming of black wings and raven eyes. However, the ravens had three eyes in his dreams, sometimes black, sometimes red. Once when he was six or seven, he went to Raventree to visit his mother. While he stayed there, he was fascinated by the huge weirwood tree and the hundreds of ravens that nested there every night. One night, his grandfather, Lord Blackwood found him in the branches. "Brynden, what are you doing in the branches? Come down before you kill yourself.."

"I am waiting for my brother ravens to come back and I will fly with them." Brynden had said with a faraway stare. When Brynden had come down the tree branch, his grandfather had told him the story of House Blackwood by the fire in his study. He had told him that they were an ancient and great house, full of the blood of the First Men. Once, they even were Kings, first in the North, then here in the Riverlands. Sometimes, the blood of the First Men would come out in an old and ancient magic, a connection to the earth and animals, visions and dreams, an ability to see loved ones long dead. Though his grandfather was proud his grandson had a touch of the First Men's magic, he must keep quiet about it, especially in King's Landing. Not all the lords understood or even had the blood of the First Men, Brynden must keep his gifts safe and secret for his safety.

For his thirteenth birthday, King Daeron had got him a trained raven for a pet. Aerys had been jealous because the Grand Maester had said the young raven was trained at the Citadel itself and knew all kinds of tricks. Bryden had named him Justman after the Riverland kings of old. He was a smart bird and would often keep Brynden company late into the night. Night was the one time that Brynden felt like he was a normal boy. He could run through the castle yard, explore the coastline, look in the gardens not having to worry about the sun and sunburn.

When he was thirteen, he started having dreams that he was Justman, he could feel his feelings, think like him, fly in the sunlight. At first, he thought he was going crazy, like Rhaegal who sometimes pranced like a deer or a pony through the Red Keep. Once Rhaegal, ran naked through the courtyard, saying he was on fire from dragon's flame.

Brynden said nothing to no one about his raven dreams or the feeling he was staring through Justman's eyes. It was better to keep silent than to have his family think he was soft minded like Rhaegal.

When Brynden was about sixteen, Daeron allowed his bookish second son, Aerys to have two private tutors of any subject. Aerys could choose the tutors to teach him anything he wanted. Daeron was proud of his son being well-read and smart, as proud as he was of Baelor and Maekar being skilled warriors. Daeron was a good man, who knew it would take all kinds of strength to rule the realm, not just martial prowess.

Aerys was obsessed with magic and so of course, he picked one astronomer from Volantis and a wizard from Qohor, whose name was Leto.

Aerys is obsessed with figuring out a way to make the dragons return. However, Aerys also has nightmares. His nightmares are of the entire world being overrun by the armies of dead and rotting men. At first, Aerys spent time reading books and scrolls, trying to prove to himself that it was a child's nightmare, an impossible but terrifying fantasy of his imagination. However, because of all his reading, Aerys read of a time in the Age of Legends, when the First Men joined with the Children of the Forest to beat back frozen armies of the dead.

Aerys tells no one, but Brynden about his dreams or what he read. Aerys feels comfortable with Brynden, in a way he doesn't feel with his own brothers. He knows that Brynden is a man of learning as well and will not tease him. Brynden does not think Baelor would ever tease Aerys for reading instead of fighting, but he understands what it is like to feel misunderstood by your kin.