New info from GRRM

Thanks for posting the links! Interesting stuff, here.

So, Blackfyre is a hand-and-a-half sword and Dark Sister is a long sword? It seems like several years ago there was some confusion on this, and I personally was under the impression that Blackfyre was a great sword and Dark Sister a hand-and-a-half-er, which lead to my thinking that Long Claw was Dark Sister. It seems like that cannot be the case. And that would make Mormort a liar, which he still certainly could be.

I don't listen to podcasts in general (my attention span is shit!) but the idea here is that Dark Sister is in Bloodraven's cave and Meera will get her hands on it? We know that Meera has Rickard Stark's crypt sword in her keeping already, so what purpose does a second sword serve her? I understand it's (Dark Sister) Valyrian steel, but Meera has so far shown no ability to fight with a sword, just her 3-pronged spear and net. That does have some gladiator hints about it, but I don't know what that (gladiator hints) could mean in the story. Although she does complain that Rickard's sword is too heavy, so that could tease at her needing a lighter, Valyrian steel blade, I guess. She could be spending her time in that cave not just getting depressed but wielding a heavy (practice) sword so she will be ready for Dark Sister!!!

As to Meera, I still don't see many hints of Targaryen blood in her (except her color imagery, which matchs Rhaegal) but I do think there is something about her face, hair and body type that hints at both Arya and Lyanna. So, Stark blood is possible.

This does flare the idea of Jon and Meera as twins idea again (RLJM), but so far there isn't much that indicates Meera has dragon blood, any more than Jon does. Although, I have always felt like Meera's coloring and dressing choices hint at Rhaegal to me. That dragon and she have similarities! So it's all certainly possible. And it is she that tells us of Lyanna fighting with tourney swords at Harrenhal, so that is another possible connection to Meera, Lyanna and swords.

As to Aegon/fAegon/Young Griff, my initial thought was that he was a Blackfyre, but even without this information on Bittersteel, I had begun to wonder if Young Griff might not be the real Aegon. I think Samwell is possible as well, although it's tinfoily! Meera and Sam as twins? Meera and Aegon as twins? Meera and Jon as twins? At this point, I think almost anything is possible!

Also, when GRRM answered about Dark Sister going to the wall with Bloodraven, it was a pretty precise answer. But the answer about Bittersteel having any children was less precise. "I don't think so" was his answer, which does leave some room for doubt in my mind.

Sorry for the rambling, this was all very "on the fly".

Looks like you’ve already seen the World Con tweets! I’m so behind.

I love the Dark Sister info. For as long as I can remember in the last 15 yrs or so no one knew where it ended up though theories abounded. Looks like an interesting piece of info since the Valyrian steel blades are all converging at the Wall if we assume the info in the series will hold true for the future books as well (re: the swords)

One has got to wonder now how close was Jon to this family sword. I mean if it stayed at the Wall and is not hidden in the cave with the CotF. But I rather like him with Langclaw. I ship this forevah!