Dorsal Dragons are so named because they have large fins along their backs that can be raised and lowered at will. They use these fins to regulate body temperature; they raise them to cool off when they become overheated. The bright colors on the fins double as a means of attracting mates.

Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons 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. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.

As a Hatchling, Wolfkit fell from the gorge and drowned in the river in the old forest along with her littermates, Smallkit and Runningkit. Brindleclaw, a RiverClan warrior, starts to save her and the other kits, but was stopped by Foxwhisker, a fellow warrior, and Graywing, the RiverClan medicine cat. The following night, Wolfheart, Runningstorm, and Smallstar appear in Graywing's dream as the cats they would have been, had they not died that day. They teach the RiverClan medicine cat the importance of Hatchlings, leading to the twelfth law of the warrior code, protecting all hatclings. The following day, Graywing, Foxwhisker, and Brindleclaw find the bodies of the three Hatchlings, and return them to WindClan.