Have Sheepstealer and the Cannibal a part to play in the next two novels?

[Bael's Bastard]

Sorry, I misunderstood you. I read it as "40 years" after the Dance, instead of Gyldayn. :)

Ah, I see. :)

[Suzanna Stormborn]

"Nettles and the Sheepstealer vanished before the war’s end,

and none could say where they went until years after."

Yes I was also curious about this statement. It seems to imply that 'years later' Nettles and Sheepstealer turned up again right???

Does anyone know what or when this is referring to?

[Bael's Bastard]

Yes I was also curious about this statement. It seems to imply that 'years later' Nettles and Sheepstealer turned up again right???

Does anyone know what or when this is referring to?

IMO it is probably referring to the Vale and Burned Men. I am not sure they openly turned up again, I think what became of them was later discovered or deduced.

[Arataniello]

IMO it is probably referring to the Vale and Burned Men. I am not sure they openly turned up again, I think what became of them was later discovered or deduced.

yep, it's Nettles appearing amongst the clans of the Mountains of the Moon that is being referred to.

[Veltigar]

Isn't it most likely Cannibal died by the hand of other dragons? Perhaps Nettles took him down or if Baela claimed Silverwing, she might have done it with Rhaelle. Thus the final dragons would have died.

Otherwise I can see him turning up on Skagos or the Wall, but he'll be dead. I doubt that we'll see any other living dragons.

I really don't think so, though they might pop up somewhere else - Dunk and Egg? I don't think GRRM would include such a major spoiler or plot point without heavily hinting at it in his main series, as that really wouldn't be fair for the (vast majority of) readers that have only read the original novels. For anything important, he tends to hint at it several times before making a big reveal and there is probably not enough space to do so, but I could be wrong. And another dragon or dragons are too game-changing to work as a mere cameo.

I don't think he'll turn up in D&E either, though the idea is certainly cool :)

There was also no buildup in the main series to Bloodraven being the three-eyed crow, so we really can't use that as an argument, I think.

There was in D&E though. Finding from those tales are as good as what can be gleaned from the main series. And GRRM started writing those mcuh sooner than whatever he wrote for TWOIAF. I think TWOAIF is not as important.

[Suzanna Stormborn]

IMO it is probably referring to the Vale and Burned Men. I am not sure they openly turned up again, I think what became of them was later discovered or deduced.

yep, it's Nettles appearing amongst the clans of the Mountains of the Moon that is being referred to.

Cool, thanx, I did not make that connection, will have to read again :)

[Elessar]

There doesn't need to be "groundwork" laid for them in the main series, there wasn't any for Bloodraven as the crow, but there he was.

I love the idea of one of them still being alive, it's definitely within the realm of "in world" possibility. Wasn't Cannibal thought to have been on Dragonstone since before the conquest? An old wives tale to Yandel, sure, but there could be truth or half truth to it.

EDIT: Veltigar you can't have it both ways. In one post you say you don't think so because there was no groundwork laid in the main series.

Then you go on to say D&E laid the groundwork for Bloodraven... but those aren't the main series. And really what's more likely, a casual fan reading WoIaF or D&E stories that didn't get anything near the fanfare this book is getting?

[Ser Cold Fingers]

The first mention of the term 'Bloodraven' was Samwell II (Chapter 15, AFfC)

The old man heard him. Though Aemon’s eyes had dimmed and gone dark, there was nothing wrong with his ears. “I was not born blind,” he reminded them. “When last I passed this way, I saw every rock and tree and whitecap, and watched the grey gulls flying in our wake. I was five-and-thirty and had been a maester of the chain for sixteen years. Egg wanted me to help him rule, but I knew my place was here. He sent me north aboard the Golden Dragon, and insisted that his friend Ser Duncan see me safe to Eastwatch. No recruit had arrived at the Wall with so much pomp since Nymeria sent the Watch six kings in golden fetters. Egg emptied out the dungeons too, so I would not need to say my vows alone. My honor guard, he called them. One was no less a man than Brynden Rivers. Later he was chosen lord commander.”

“Bloodraven?” said Dareon. “I know a song about him. ‘A Thousand Eyes, and One,’ it’s called. But I thought he lived a hundred years ago.

The second mention was in The Turncloak (Chapter 41, ADwD)

Their footsteps echoed through the vault as they made their way between the rows of pillars. The stone eyes of the dead men seemed to follow them, and the eyes of their stone direwolves as well. The faces stirred faint memories. A few names came back to him, unbidden, whispered in the ghostly voice of Maester Luwin. King Edrick Snowbeard, who had ruled the north for a hundred years. Brandon the Shipwright, who had sailed beyond the sunset. Theon Stark, the Hungry Wolf. My namesake. Lord Beron Stark, who made common cause with Casterly Rock to war against Dagon Greyjoy, Lord of Pyke, in the days when the Seven Kingdoms were ruled in all but name by the bastard sorcerer men called Bloodraven.

The last was in The Kingbreaker (Chapter 67, ADwD)

No reason to copy that text.

And the only time "Brynden Rivers" is used is in the first quote in this post.

There is enough in that first quote with the use of the phrase "A Thousand Eyes, and One" to make the educated guess who the three-eyed crow could be.

The next time that phrase is used in Bran II (Chapter 13, ADwD). Then lastly in Bran III (Chapter 34, ADwD).