For seasons, Game of Thrones fans have had one lingering question: What the hell is Bran doing here? Other than messing everything up, of course.

That being said, I love Bran. (I have made this abundantly clear.) I know he’s the recipient of a lot of hate, but I love the exposition he brings. I love the mysticism. Without Bran, we would have never confirmed R+L=J — and that information could be vital for Jon Snow’s overall place in the Great War approaching. It seems pretty clear that Bran will do two things in Season 7: He will accidentally break the protection spell on the Wall, leaving the Seven Kingdoms vulnerable to the wights, and he will reunite with Jon, Sansa, and possibly Arya in Winterfell. Of course, joining him along for the perilous ride is his loyal protector, Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick).

Kendrick herself is also a fierce Bran supporter — so no bad-mouthing the greenseer around Meera. “He’s a little tiny boy who gets plunged into this political chaos, and he’s got this stranger in the form of Meera looking after him, dragging him around,” Kendrick told MTV News at HBO’s fan event in New York to celebrate the Season 6 DVD on November 18.

“I love the story line he has because he’s this kid who’s been forgotten, but he has these incredible powers to unleash,” she added. “It makes me think of Stranger Things a bit. He looks small and weak, and yet he’s got this immense strength and capability of mind. That’s going to be one of the most exciting things in the coming episodes because he can reveal all of the past and the future.”

While Kendrick won’t confirm or deny where Bran and Meera are headed in Season 7, it makes sense that they would head south to Winterfell. There’s a heart tree in Winterfell, and since that’s the only way Bran can have his visions, Winterfell seems like a likely place for Bran to run. Not to mention, Bran’s the only one who can tell Jon that he’s the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. But poor Meera can’t drag him there by herself. She’s going to need some help, or at least a horse.

“Bran can be pretty difficult at times,” Kendrick said. “He gets more and more distant and removed, and as the seasons go on, he gets taller and taller — and heavier to carry. I do actually drag him on that sled, and Isaac [Hempstead Wright] is at least a foot taller than me. I’m only 5-foot-1 and he’s, like, 6-foot-2 or something now.”

Occasionally, production uses a model Bran for very wide shots. It’s a silicone mold of Hempstead Wright, sized to scale. “It’s creepy,” she said. “It looks just like Isaac. It has eyelashes and eyeballs, and if you prod it, it gives.”

As for Meera’s overall role in Season 7, well, she’s the muscle. Bran may be able to gaze into the past and see the future, but he’s pretty much defenseless against oncoming threats. That’s where Meera comes in.

“Meera’s main job is the protector,” Kendrick said. “She’s not going to storm in there and tell everyone what to do. She’s the bodyguard. She’s the one who’s got Bran's back, and she’s making sure that he gets to the places he needs to get to. She sees this as her duty to carry out this mission for him. It’s in her blood; the Reeds are fiercely loyal to the Starks, and she’ll give everything that it takes to protect Bran.”

Even, as it stands, kill a White Walker.

“She’s the only woman to have killed a White Walker,” she said. “Pretty cool, right?”