A MASSIVE series-changing Bran theory: The IceBrandon

[Daendrew]

The Icebrandon: EndGame of Thrones Part 1

All crows are liars. And Bran is working for the biggest three-eyed liar of them all. Brans arc is moving towards the anti-hero side.

Update 1: see my line by line chapter review of the flight of the Ice Dragon.

Update 2: The World of Ice and Fire

Of all the queer and fabulous denizens of the Shivering Sea, however, the greatest are the ice dragons. These colossal beasts, many times larger than the dragons of Valyria, are said to be made of living ice, with eyes of pale blue crystal and vast translucent wings through which the moon and stars can be glimpsed as they wheel across the sky. Whereas common dragons (if any dragon can truly be said to be common) breathe flame, ice dragons supposedly breathe cold, a chill so terrible that it can freeze a man solid in half a heartbeat.

Sailors from half a hundred nations have glimpsed these great beasts over the centuries, so mayhaps there is some truth behind the tales. Archmaester Margate has suggested that many legends of the north—freezing mists, ice ships, Cannibal Bay, and the like—can be explained as distorted reports of ice-dragon activity. Though an amusing notion, and not without a certain elegance, this remains the purest conjecture. As ice dragons supposedly melt when slain, no actual proof of their existence has ever been found.

-The World of Ice and Fire - Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea

"You will never walk again, but you will fly." -Bloodraven to Bran.

In this post I will show you:

• 1) How Bran already “become” the ice dragon I call The Icebrandon but it's name is probably Winter. Winter is coming. The biggest clues is are the words "grey mist" as ice dragon breath and "wings unseen" being translucent ice-made wings similar to the description of the Others sword in the prologue of AGoT.

• 2) How Bran may have already died once or twice. First after falling and he gives corn (his seed, his soul) to BR and wakes up and perhaps a second time in a scene where "Brandon Stark could taste his blood" in a vision.

• 3) How Bran is an "abomination" and is Nights King reborn. He is the only person to go beyond the "curtain of light" to true darkness as opposed to shadow creatures of light. There is no shadow in darkness and ice casts no shadow either. Another Brandon Stark was the original Nights King as well as his namesake.

Background

Old Nan specifically told Bran that NK was a Stark. Bran won't become Godzilla and try to destroy all life. His focus is revenge on Jaime. Jaime is the only hope for humanity as he is Azor Ahannister. So by fighting Jaime, Bran fights humanities only hope. This entire story is set in play by the conflict between Bran and Jaime. Their conflict begins the saga and it will frame its conclusion.

We learn from Varymyr that things Bran does are abominations like eating people while warging and skinchanging humans. Why would GRRM mention that so prominently if not to refer to Bran? Hodor is like Brans second skin.

That means The Great Other is his second skin as Hodor is the Name of the Great Other. GRRM even made Hodors real name (Walder) evil too. He is probably under a spell making him unable to say anything else by the GO.

Winter is Coming: The rebirth and flight of the Ice Dragon named Winter

Bran remembered the way he shattered. "But I never fall," he said, falling. The ground was so far below him he could barely make it out through the grey mists that whirled around him

“Grey mists” is the key word there. I think those grey mists may point to the icefyre breath of an icedragon. Bran is falling down screaming in this dream.

Bran was falling faster than ever. The

grey mists howled around

him as he plunged toward the earth below. "What are you doing to me?" he asked the crow, tearful.

Teaching you how to fly.

"I can't fly!"

You're flying tight now.

"I'm falling!"

Every flight begins with a fall, the crow said. Look down.

"I'm afraid . . . "

Bran spread his arms and flew.

Wings unseen(!) drank the wind and filled and pulled him upward.

The terrible needles of ice receded below him. The sky opened up above. Bran soared. It was better than climbing. It was better than anything. The world grew small beneath him.

"Wings unseen!"

“The wings unseen” are the translucent ice wings of the ice dragon. Now look at the root of the word translucent; luce, latin for light. The name lucifer means lightbringer. But more on that later in Endgame of Thrones Part 2: Azor Ahannister. If fire dragons are fire made flesh, ice dragons are cold-made hide.

Bran felt along his shoulders, groping for feathers.There are different kinds of wings, the crow said.

There are "different kinds of wings?" Hmmm. Do tell. What Other kind of wings are there? What other kind of flying creature could possibly fly Bran not only to, but beyond the Lands of Always Winter and past the curtain of light.

The wings are there, but we don’t see them. Where else have we encountered something like that? The Others sword. Lets compare the description of Bran's wings above to the description of the Others sword in the prologue of AGOT.

“It was alive with moonlight, translucent, a shard of crystal so thin that it seemed almost to vanish when seen edge-on. There was a faint blue shimmer to the thing, a ghost-light that played around its edges, and somehow Will knew it was sharper than any razor.” –Will.

The similarity is eerie.

The Ice Dragon is a constellation and is often mentioned in the context of the closest synonym to mists; clouds. When you look in the thesaurus for mist, the first answer is clouds. Clouds may be a subtle hint to the grey mists.

The death of Bran and Bloodraven's offer

When they lost their way, as happened once or twice, they need only wait for a clear cold night when the clouds did not intrude, and look up in the sky for the ice dragon. -Bran II, ASOS

Lets look at Bran potentially dying or giving of his soul to BR.

It was cold here in the darkness. There was no sun, no stars, only the ground below coming up to smash him, and the grey mists, and the whispering voice. He wanted to cry.

Not cry. Fly.

"Help me," he said.

I'm trying, the crow replied. Say, got any corn?

Bran reached into his pocket as the darkness spun dizzily around him. When he pulled his hand out, golden kernels slid from between his fingers into the air. They fell with him.

The crow landed on his hand and began to eat.

Bran just gave Bloodraven the corn "seed" to his soul

Lets pause this for a moment and look at line about the Nights King:

"When he gave his seed to her he gave his soul as well."

Corn! Corn! Soul! Soul!

And now back to Brans dream:

"I'll wake up when I hit the ground," Bran told the bird.

You'll die when you hit the ground, the crow said. It went back to eating corn.

You'll die when you hit the ground? Hmmm. Bran did hit the ground by the tower though.

In giving the crow (Bloodraven) the corn in his pocket, Bran literally gave him his seed, and gave up his soul to become reborn as someone mentioned in the Nights King story. BR gave him new life and a third eye on his forehead. Bran did die when he hit the ground below the tower. Bloodraven gave him back his life in exchange for his soul.

Bran curiously announced he isn't dead. And repeated that twice. Which may mean the opposite:

The stone is strong, Bran told himself, the roots of the trees go deep, and under the ground the Kings of Winter sit their thrones. So long as those remained, Winterfell remained. It was not dead, just broken. Like me, he thought. I'm not dead either.

Bran died when he fell and was reborn using earth and tree just as Dany died and was reborn using fire magic. And Jon died and will be reborn using ice magic. In a similar way to how Victarion died and was reborn atop water (on a ship named Silence made of Weirwood that was painted red to hide all the blood stains [read: sacrifices] on deck) using fire and water magics, evidenced by Victarions POV going from first person to third person after Moqorro does the ritual.

Not only may Bran have already died to “become” The Icebrandon Winter but Bran may already have died a second time after the fall when he gets visions from the present to the birth of the Winterfell tree:

And through the mist of centuries the broken boy could only watch as the man’s feet drummed against the earth … but as

his life flowed out of him in a red tide, Brandon Stark could taste the blood.

Arya lost her sight so she could learn to truly “see.” Could Bran have been killed to become one with the trees and allow his spirit to truly bind with the ice dragon? Who was the “his” GRRM mentioned above after a pair of ellipses that GRRM rarely uses. Was it the “his” the man sacrificed in the Weirvision or was it Bran tasting his own blood? Only life pays for life. Bran is now King in The North as Robb is dead, so his blood has power. Two kings blood to wake the dragon, the father and the son, so both die as kings. Is Roose working with Bloodraven, taking Robbs blood as a sacrifice and then Brans to wake the ice dragon?

More hints he is an ice dragon

Bran was staring at his arms, his legs. He was so skinny, just skin stretched taut over bones. Had he always been so thin? He tried to remember.

Skin over bones is what an icedragon looks like.

A face swam up at him out of the grey mist, shining with light, golden. "The things I do for love," it said. Bran screamed.

Bran screamed and grey mist appeared. When dragons scream, death comes out of their mouths. The mist is the icefyre encircling Azor Ahannister, The Lord of Light.

The valyrian word for “Lord of Light” Aeksiot Ono is almost identical to the word for “goldenhand” which is Aeksion Ondos. Jamie Lannister is Azor Ahai, his face "shining with light, golden."

Jamie, the hero of shining golden light is rushing face first directly towards a terrible ice dragon that threatens humanity breathing grey mist of impossible coldness directly at him. The shining light and heat emanating from him is Lightbringer. GRRM masterfully will put us on the side of innocent Bran for almost 8,000 pages only to do this major reveal at the end where he will switch who the perceived heroes and antiheroes of humanity are. More on Azor Ahannister in Endgame of Thrones Part 2.

In a bed high in some chilly tower room, and the black-haired woman dropped a basin of water to shatter on the floor and ran down the steps, shouting, "He's awake, he's awake, he's awake."

Jaime woke him. Jaime woke the IceBrandon. You never want to wake the IceBrandon.

The IceBrandon casts no shadow.

If Bran is the Nights King, The IceBrandon would cast no shadow as he is translucent and would have the shiniest blue eyes of anything introduced in the series thusfar. The Icedragon constellation is the brightest bluest star in the sky mentioned many times.

He is the only "living" person to ever go beyond the "curtain of light" that he calls it. Melissandre is the most misunderstood character according to GRRM. We are hung up on her shadow babies. But shadows are servants of the light. Only Bran goes beyond the curtain of light to what Tyrion called the second wall, "a wall of darkness." There are no shadows beyond the curtain of light, as there is no light.

Hodor is part of Bran. He is his legs. But what does it mean ifHodor is also the name of The Great Other, the name that must not be spoken?. Bran may take take a turn for the worse in the upcoming battle for humanity. Remember the Nights King was a Stark according to Old Nan. They say that The Nights King name and memory has been removed from history, but we keep hearing about Bran The Builder doing innumerable things. Perhaps Bran The Builder was Brandon Stark, Nights King?

Bran will battle Jamie as this entire series is set on course in the battle and interplay between Jamie and Bran that began in the tower of Winterfell. Bran is a contender with Roose Bolton, Stannis Baratheon, Jon Starkgaryan and Benjen Stark (HT Aziz from History of Westeros for Benjen) to be the Nights King.

“Glowing like sunset, a red sword was raised in the hand of a blue-eyed king who cast no shadow.” Appears n Danys vision/prophesy.

GRRM uses red herrings pointing to Stannis in his the Nights King, with him casting shadowbabies and claiming the Night Fort for himself. But Stannis is precisely a king who has cast many shadows. And Melissandre tells us that shadow is servant to the light. There is no shadow beyond the “curtain of light” that only Bran has seen, and soars in. A place so terrible he cries. There lies a place where someone would cast no shadow.

Bran is the winged wolf becoming one of the most powerful greenseers and human beings ever, as a product of the Ned Stark and Catelyn Tully. His blood gives him his power. "Your blood makes you a greenseer, Bran." Jojen tells him.

Brans Magic Blood that makes him a Greenseer:

Ned Starks Blood

1) Other blood. Starks have "Kings of Winter" blood. This name suggests a relationship to the Others after the Starks and humanity won the Long Night, they may have taken an Other woman in and sealed the peace by marriage. Her remains and spirit may be in the crypt of Winterfell and is the reason why there must always be a Stark in Winterfell, because the crypt is a prison (HT: c_forrester_thorne) for her or where her spirit rests as a Stark Queen by marriage.

2) Children of The Forrest greenseer blood via House Reed. House Reed of the Crannog was never successfully defeated militarily and only became vassal to House Stark by marriage. House Reed shares many traits and stature with the Children of The Forrest and is rumored to be related to them.

3) Warg King blood. After defeating the Warg King and the Stark heir accepting daughter of the Warg King in peace treaty, I think that is when the Starks dropped the moniker of the King of Winter and took on the Warg Kings direwolf sigil to get us off the trail of the Other connection.

Catelyn Tullys blood

1) Water blood paternally via Hoster Tully.

2) Bat blood via her mother Minisa of House Whent. Bats are flying beasts of the darkness.

So Brans blood contains Other/winter blood, Children of The Forrest and Warg Kings (say it fast and it sounds like warging) from his father and from his mother he gets water and flying scary creatures of the night. Combine them all together and you have a greenseer so in Bran we have have the elements of ice (freezing cold and water), and a scary beast that flies only in the dark of night.

Brans wolfs is named Summer. And because of Bran, Summer will die. *shudders*

And Summer is replaced with The Icedragon Winter.

Summary: Brans blood includes magic involving cold, warging & a flying nocturnal monster of the night in his Whent blood. Combined and we get a basis to become an icedragon. Bran may have already become an ice dragon spewing supercold “grey mist” in his coma dream with Bloodraven. As The Icebrandon, Bran is translucent, casting no shadow with incredibly bright blue eyes fitting the vision prophesy Dany has of a blue-eyed king who cast no shadow, unlike Stannis who has cast many shadows and is servant of the light. Shadows are servants of the light and GRRM has said Melissandre is the most misunderstood character. The NK won't come from shadows, but only pure darkness. BR tells Bran to cloak himself in darkness & he only person "alive" to ever be cloaked by pure darkness and go outside the curtain of light.

EndGame of Thrones is a multipart series. Click here to see the other parts of the series

[a_motherf'ndragon]

Okay dude, I like some of the conclusions you come up with like the corn symbol of Bran's soul, that is good, but the whole "grey mists" thing is way off. You say he screams and grey mists appear, when if you read your quote, the mists are already there. It says a face came out of the grey mists that were already existent and then Bran screamed after.

A face swam up at him out of the grey mist, shining with light, golden. "The things I do for love," it said.

Bran screamed.

I believe there was something awakened at WF and I think it was either a latent fire dragon, or a ice dragon, as there is a passage as one of the dire wolves witnesses a winged serpent fly from burning WF. Now remember fire cannot hurt a Valyrian dragon, so what would be the point in fleeing its long hiding place if it was burning, there was nothing putting that dragon in danger, but if it were an ice dragon, then fire might have been a good reason to leave.

I believe there must always be a Stark in WF because Starks are what keep the ice dragon imprisoned there, by some type of magic. When WF burned, that's when Bran and Rickon, the last Starks, left WF, and that's when we see the dire wolf witness the exit of a dragon from WF.

(Dropping Microphone)

[Daendrew]

Okay dude, I like some of the conclusions you come up with like the corn symbol of Bran's soul, that is good, but the whole "grey mists" thing is way off. You say he screams and grey mists appear, when if you read your quote, the mists are already there. It says a face came out of the grey mists that were already existent and then Bran screamed after.

A face swam up at him out of the grey mist, shining with light, golden. "The things I do for love," it said.

Bran screamed.

I believe there was something awakened at WF and I think it was either a latent fire dragon, or a ice dragon, as there is a passage as one of the dire wolves witnesses a winged serpent fly from burning WF. Now remember fire cannot hurt a Valyrian dragon, so what would be the point in fleeing its long hiding place if it was burning, there was nothing putting that dragon in danger, but if it were an ice dragon, then fire might have been a good reason to leave.

I believe there must always be a Stark in WF because Starks are what keep the ice dragon imprisoned there, by some type of magic. When WF burned, that's when Bran and Rickon, the last Starks, left WF, and that's when we see the dire wolf witness the exit of a dragon from WF.

(Dropping Microphone)

Can Drogon shoot flame only if he is screaming? Can he not shoot flame if he isn't? Of course he can. They aren't mutually exclusive. I chose the screaming one for added effect and to show that the grey myst comes from him.

Hold that thought on the Stark in Winterfell. I am getting to that in a post or two.

[a_motherf'ndragon]

Can Drogon shoot flame only if he is screaming? Can he not shoot flame if he isn't? Of course he can. They aren't mutually exclusive. I chose the screaming one for added effect :)

Hold that thought on the Stark in Winterfell. I am getting to that in a post or two.

Okay that's fair

[SolomonBlack]

By the way we know full well what ice dragons are like. Go read The Ice Dragon it won't take long since its a kids book, its not set in Westeros (publishers will lie about this) but it is still very obviously a prototype version of some of the ideas.

For the rest nope, all connections between greenseers/warging/etc and ice magic are just puzzle bashing, take two separate pieces of the puzzle and mashing them together regardless of if they fit. I say instead nothing can grow in ice, green and fire may not be friends but they share a common foe in ice.

The biggest hint off the top of my head is Melisandre 'seeing' Bloodraven and Bran, her rash conclusion they must be the enemy is a good hint they are not because she's a delusional zealot that beats reality into fitting her preconceived view of things.

[William MK Stark]

Why IceBrandon but not IceArya ?

[Daendrew]

Why IceBrandon but not IceArya ?

Did you read the post where Bran flew as an ice dragon?

[Minuteman]

Why were the wights trying to stop Bran from meeting BR then? They're the good guys in your view? Why are the cotf with BR? I think that Bran meeting BR is simply a repeat of the past playing the part of the Last Hero meeting with the cotf to ally with the First Men to defeat the White Walkers.

[Daendrew]

There are multiple competing power structures with them and the children just as there are in Westeros. Evidenced by undead Cold Hands.

Look at Stannis, King of Westeros at The Wall. But he is king of Davos and 3 other people.

[William MK Stark]

Did you read the post where Bran flew as an ice dragon?

I did and I found it strange that an ice dragon should be afraid of ICE needles below him. Actually, the entire plot of Bran going North has been about him trying to stop whatever the winter brings, not become part of it. You say that all crows are liars, which is a thing the common people say, they also say that Tywin shit gold, and we know how true that was. Bran has been described as the winged wolf, and the raven but never a dragon. He's also associated with the COTF, who are enemies of the Others( and other beings born of Ice). The part when he saw the serpent taking flight from Winterfell was from Summer's perspective, further separating him from whatever that flew out. And he was attacked by the wights, servants of the Others. Also, his wolf name is SUMMER. All in all nothing connects him with Ice magic or the cold, his magic is the magic of the COTF, magic of earth and forest.

And I didn't say IceArya randomly, because I think if anyone is turning to the Others, it's most likely her. She's of the blood of the Starks more than her siblings (She and Jon being the only two of this generation to have Stark look), implying her strong connection with the North. She's been travelling a lot, through lot of hardship and is slowly losing part of her humanity. She's training under a cult who worship the God of Death( something the Others are associated with) whose way involves becoming No One or to play someone else. Also of note is the doors of the HOBAW are reference to Ice and Fire( White weirdwood and black ebony). There are a lot of mentions of Water in Arya's chapters ( escaping King's Landing through Sewer, travelling around the Riverlands under heavy rain, good at swimming, crossing the Narrow Sea, now staying in the Venice of the world of IAF), and guess what water becomes when the winter comes. Last but not least, if you see The Ice Dragon as a prototype for ASOIAF, then the main character, Adara, has a lot in common with Arya, both small of status, both third born children, both like playing like boys, and don't get along well with other girls. Adara is described as born in the winter and has the cold in her, so she looks pale with blue eyes and lack of humaness. But she slowly learns of human love and emotion and when the ice dragon(she rides him) dies, she becomes more human in both personality and appearance. Her story makes for an interesting contrast with Arya's, who starts out as a joyful summer child ( she was 9 at the beginning so most likely was born during the decade long summer), then becomes more and more cold-hearted. Now that's the winter has come, what else might she become?

[Minuteman]

There are multiple competing power structures with them and the children just as there are in Westeros. Evidenced by undead Cold Hands.

Look at Stannis, King of Westeros at The Wall. But he is king of Davos and 3 other people.

I don't want to hijack your thread but he has quite a bit more than that and will have more yet once Tommen and Myrcella are dead and the Blackfish brings the Vale north with Howland Reeds assistance (that was Robb's plan with his own army prior to the RW and he always consulted strategy with the Blackfish per Cats POV). But Old Nan's stories (the one of the Last Hero GRRM didn't let her finish) has the cotf using the WW against the First Men and the Last Hero arriving at a cave below a weirwood tree to form a peace and an alliance to send the WWs away. Seems to me to be exactly what Bran is doing. It isn't history but rather a fable but still it doesn't suggest multiple competing power structures. And Coldhands is as likely to be a single player dating to the age of heroes as much as anything else.

[Daendrew]

I did and I found it strange that an ice dragon should be afraid of ICE needles below him. Actually, the entire plot of Bran going North has been about him trying to stop whatever the winter brings, not become part of it. You say that all crows are liars, which is a thing the common people say, they also say that Tywin shit gold, and we know how true that was. Bran has been described as the winged wolf, and the raven but never a dragon. He's also associated with the COTF, who are enemies of the Others( and other beings born of Ice). The part when he saw the serpent taking flight from Winterfell was from Summer's perspective, further separating him from whatever that flew out. And he was attacked by the wights, servants of the Others. Also, his wolf name is SUMMER. All in all nothing connects him with Ice magic or the cold, his magic is the magic of the COTF, magic of earth and forest.

And I didn't say IceArya randomly, because I think if anyone is turning to the Others, it's most likely her. She's of the blood of the Starks more than her siblings (She and Jon being the only two of this generation to have Stark look), implying her strong connection with the North. She's been travelling a lot, through lot of hardship and is slowly losing part of her humanity. She's training under a cult who worship the God of Death( something the Others are associated with) whose way involves becoming No One or to play someone else. Also of note is the doors of the HOBAW are reference to Ice and Fire( White weirdwood and black ebony). There are a lot of mentions of Water in Arya's chapters ( escaping King's Landing through Sewer, travelling around the Riverlands under heavy rain, good at swimming, crossing the Narrow Sea, now staying in the Venice of the world of IAF), and guess what water becomes when the winter comes. Last but not least, if you see The Ice Dragon as a prototype for ASOIAF, then the main character, Adara, has a lot in common with Arya, both small of status, both third born children, both like playing like boys, and don't get along well with other girls. Adara is described as born in the winter and has the cold in her, so she looks pale with blue eyes and lack of humaness. But she slowly learns of human love and emotion and when the ice dragon(she rides him) dies, she becomes more human in both personality and appearance. Her story makes for an interesting contrast with Arya's, who starts out as a joyful summer child ( she was 9 at the beginning so most likely was born during the decade long summer), then becomes more and more cold-hearted. Now that's the winter has come, what else might she become?

His wolfs name is Summer and because of Bran, Summer will die.

[William MK Stark]

His wolfs name is Summer and because of Bran, Summer will die.

What kind of argument is that, the "just because of reasons" kind ?

[Daendrew]

It is that GRRM flips tropes, subverts cliches and does the opposite. Summer as a name does not mean it is associated with Summer. But may probably mean the opposite.

White knight kingsguard kill the king. Black brothers rapists are the heroes of humanity etc etc.

[William MK Stark]

It is that GRRM flips tropes, subverts cliches and does the opposite. Summer as a name does not mean it is associated with Summer. But may probably mean the opposite.

White knight kingsguard kill the king. Black brothers rapists are the heroes of humanity etc etc.

May and may not, anyway, the subverting is also a cliche on itself(characters or organizations named after gods or enlightenment of something actually being evil)

GRRM doesn't break the tropes by doing the opposite, he does it by making them all relative : White Knight Kingsguard kills the king to protect half a million of people( another sacred vow), Black brother rapists being heroes but also are truly rapists and traitors who stabbed their commanders on two occasions.

[Daendrew]

Okay dude, I like some of the conclusions you come up with like the corn symbol of Bran's soul, that is good, but the whole "grey mists" thing is way off. You say he screams and grey mists appear, when if you read your quote, the mists are already there. It says a face came out of the grey mists that were already existent and then Bran screamed after.

A face swam up at him out of the grey mist, shining with light, golden. "The things I do for love," it said.

Bran screamed.

I believe there was something awakened at WF and I think it was either a latent fire dragon, or a ice dragon, as there is a passage as one of the dire wolves witnesses a winged serpent fly from burning WF. Now remember fire cannot hurt a Valyrian dragon, so what would be the point in fleeing its long hiding place if it was burning, there was nothing putting that dragon in danger, but if it were an ice dragon, then fire might have been a good reason to leave.

I believe there must always be a Stark in WF because Starks are what keep the ice dragon imprisoned there, by some type of magic. When WF burned, that's when Bran and Rickon, the last Starks, left WF, and that's when we see the dire wolf witness the exit of a dragon from WF.

(Dropping Microphone)

There are big clues to my next post regarding imprisoning the ice dragon here

I will get to why there must always be a Stark in Winterfell but to do that I have to get to the Long Night first.

[Caspoi]

Well, I have entertained the thought of Bran "turning evil" myself (mainly because of the Dance with Dragons-prolouge were, as you said, it mentions certain warging acts that Bran later does as abominable) but some of what you said is a bit to far fetched.

For one thing I think that the grey mist thing has to do with Bran's dream state rather than anything with his breath. For another the whole "there are other wings" thing would rather prove that Bran does not have litteral wings rather than him being a secret ice dragon (I am so used to the secret Targaryen theories that this one was very orignal in that regard). I also don't find any proof that Bran has already lost his soul simply beause he gave a bit of corn, the conclusion is a bit too far fetched (corn=>seed=>soul) and I Think that it should be some proof throughout the rest of the five books (loosing one's soul and it having no consequence would be quite odd). I also don't like the "because Jaime tried to kill Bran Bran is a bad guy" line of thought, especially when the "because Jaime tried to kill Bran then Jaime is a bad guy" one is far more logical.

[Daendrew]

Update: see my line by line chapter review of the flight of the Ice Dragon.

[BitsOfBrains]

I think Bran will have a major part to play in battling the Mad Queen and her dragons but I don't know if it will be as a literal ice dragon.

It seems likely ice dragons are just zombified dragons like the bear that got Smallwood or the horses the Others ride.

[Lady Blizzardborn]

Bran has to live because "Winter is Coming." Whatever was in the Heart of Winter scared the hell out of him. He is needed to STOP it. The Others do not need help in whatever it is that they are trying to do. What's needed is a way to stop them. Bloodraven is fighting against winter, not for it. Think about Brynden's bloodlines. He's not only human, he's a Targaryen. He would not fight against himself. His entire history was of doing things for the good of the realm (much like Varys claims to be doing), at the expense of his reputation and any dreams he might have had for himself. You think he's switched sides?

An ice dragon does not have to be a tool of the Others, or of winter. Bran can be an ice dragon and still be a good guy.