Editing Dragon (section)

===The Targaryen Dragons===
{{See also|House Targaryen}}
[[File:Fall of harrenhal by reneaigner.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Balerion]] [[burning of Harrenhal|destroy]] [[Harrenhal]]. Art by René Aigner ©]]

After the Doom and the chaos afterward, the only dragons known to have survived were on the island of [[Dragonstone (island)|Dragonstone]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|2|9}} They belonged to [[House Targaryen]], who had brought five dragons from Valyria when Lord [[Aenar Targaryen]] and his family emigrated twelve years before, in {{Date|-114}}. Four of these dragons eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only [[Balerion]]. However, the other dragons left eggs behind, and from these hatched [[Vhagar]] and [[Meraxes]].{{Ref|FAB|1}}

Balerion was eventually claimed by Lord [[Aegon I Targaryen|Aegon Targaryen]], some time before he married his sisters [[Visenya Targaryen|Visenya]] and [[Rhaenys Targaryen|Rhaenys]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|3|1}} Aegon became involved in the wars in the [[Disputed Lands]] when [[Pentos]] and [[Tyrosh]] approached him, inviting him to join a grand alliance against [[Volantis]]. Aegon flew Balerion to meet the [[Prince of Pentos]] and the [[magister]]s of the [[Free City]], then flew to [[Lys]] in time to set ablaze a [[Volantene]] fleet trying to take the city.{{Ref|TWOIAF|2|9}}{{Ref|ADWD|14}}

[[File:Burning Arryn fleet.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Visenya Targaryen]] and [[Vhagar]] burn the [[Arryn]] fleet during the [[battle in the waters off Gulltown]]. Art by John McCambridge, in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]
As the [[Century of Blood]] came to an end, Aegon's interest in [[Westeros]] grew. His sister-wife Visenya had claimed Vhagar, and his other sister-wife Rhaenys rode Meraxes. In {{Date|-2|1}}, Aegon and his sisters used Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes in their [[Wars of Conquest]] against the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Dragons were instrumental in the [[burning of Harrenhal]] and the [[Field of Fire]], and the threat of dragons led to the submissions of [[Torrhen Stark]] and [[Sharra Arryn]].{{Ref|FAB|1}} Dragons were also used in the [[First Dornish War]], which caused the death of Rhaenys and Meraxes at the [[Hellholt]] in {{Date|10}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF|4|1}}

[[File:Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Balerion]] kills [[Aegon Targaryen (son of Aenys I)|Aegon Targaryen]] and [[Quicksilver]] during the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], by Michael Komarck, in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'']]
Many dragons were hatched after [[Aegon's Conquest]]. During Aegon I's reign, "half a dozen" hatchlings were born on Dragonstone. One of the first was [[Quicksilver]], hatched in {{Date|7}}, who bonded with Aegon I's elder son and heir, [[Aenys I Targaryen|Aenys]]. Another two dragons hatched during the first year of Aenys's reign, in {{Date|38}}.{{Ref|FAB|4}} Dragon fought dragon for the first time since the [[Doom of Valyria]] in the [[Battle Beneath the Gods Eye]], resulting in the death of Quicksilver in {{Date|43}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF|4|3}}{{Ref|FAB|4}}

Over the course of one hundred and fifty years, the Targaryens rode their dragons as a symbol of their power, and as a means of transport. In addition, a valuable [[gold]]en [[Currency|coin]] of the kingdom became known as a golden dragon.{{Ref|AGOT|16}} It is said that King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] took six dragons with him to the [[north]], including Jaehaerys's [[Vermithor]] and Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen|Alysanne]]'s [[Silverwing]], to visit the [[Warden of the North|Warden]] of the region;{{Ref|ASOS|41}} however, it is possible that the story is just a fable, since the historical record of the visit does not mention that number of dragons.{{Ref|FAB|10}}

Balerion died of old age{{Ref|FAB|11}} in {{Date|94}}, late in the reign of Jaehaerys I.{{Ref|TWOIAF|4|4}} Jaehaerys's grandson and eventual successor [[Viserys I Targaryen|Viserys I]] was Balerion's rider at the time of its death.{{Ref|FAB|12}}<ref>[[Not A Blog]]: [https://grrm.livejournal.com/360936.html?thread=18791400#t18791400 The Rogues Are Coming... (Comment March 12, 2014)]</ref> This left Vhagar as the largest living dragon, and by {{Date|129}} she was approaching Balerion's size.{{Ref|FAB|16}}

By {{Date|129}}, on the eve of civil war between [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] and [[Aegon II Targaryen|Aegon II]], there were twenty living dragons.{{Ref|FAB|13}} The largest and oldest dragons were Vhagar, Vermithor, Silverwing, [[Dreamfyre]], [[Meleys]], [[Caraxes]], and [[Syrax]]. Younger dragons still large enough to be ridden to war were [[Seasmoke]], [[Sunfyre]], [[Tessarion]], [[Vermax]], [[Arrax]], [[Tyraxes]], and [[Moondancer]]. [[Stormcloud]], [[Morghul]], and [[Shrykos]] were very young dragons, not yet big enough to ride.{{Ref|FAB|15}}

There were also three wild dragons living on [[Dragonstone]] which had never been successfully claimed by any rider: [[Grey Ghost]], [[Sheepstealer]], and the [[Cannibal (dragon)|Cannibal]]. Sheepstealer hatched when Jaehaerys I was still young, and the Cannibal was even older (none knew for certain when it had hatched), and thus they were also quite large by the time of the [[Dance of the Dragons]], while Grey Ghost was a younger and smaller beast.{{Ref|FAB|15}}