Dragons are creatures with nearly unlimited life spans. They can survive for long periods of time, and no one has found a dragon that has died of old age. Adolescence is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling's wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. Once they hit adolescence, hatchlings change quickly, maturing to their full forms in only 2 years.

Dragons don't communicate with each other verbally, but they will growl to scare off predators and frighten prey. Young dragons will emit an extremely high-pitched squeal when they are frightened. To communicate, they use telepathy with each other and to speak to other creatures.

When water dragons mature, they lose their legs and the ability to survive on land, entering the water permanently. They are adept swimmers and eat whatever fish are in the lake they live in. They tend to inhabit the same lake for their entire lives, although a few live in the ocean and swim all over the world.

Many dragons have gone through love and loss, but this young male's loss was most bitter. As a member of the Slashclaw, rivals to the Supernova, Riverstealth's loyalty was to his clan and only his clan...until he met Sunrise Gold.

It all began when the Slashclaw and Supernovas were fighting a battle along Riverstealth's river, one walled by cliffs. While he was snatching Supernova dragons down from the sky, a Slashclaw warrior had pinned Sunrise Gold to the cliff. It was love at first sight, and he couldn't bear to see her dead. Riverstealth knocked the warrior down and carried Sunrise to the bank.

This began a series of secret night meetings that Tamira Brightwing and Mistrain, the leaders of the two clans, resolved to crush. For many weeks Riverstealth and his beloved Sunrise Gold met at the riverbank. The meetings were discovered, and Riverstealth has found a new mate in Leaf-fire and Sunrise Gold in Blizzardsoul, but his heart still aches for his illicit mate's golden scales.