Aww... It’s a cute baby dragon. It has a large, shield-like object at the end of its tail that it uses for protection.

Young dragons are relatively defenseless. They are born with relatively soft scales, which are shed and replaced with harder ones as the hatchling matures. Once a hatchling’s wings grow in, it typically marks the beginning of maturation. At this point they are often capable of hunting on their own and are usually left alone by their mother.

Poor little Boots acts more like a mint than a guardian hatchling. Boots hatched alone in a very dark forest, where numerous spooky creatures prowled. Most of his childhood was spent totally alone in these woods, shaping him into a skittish and feral little dragon. One day, however, he met Ticti, a brave young mint who felt sympathy for Boots. She has been his guardian ever since. This 'role reversal' brings many smiles to the faces of the dragons at the Icewind cave.