What is the importance of "colors" in the novel, Winter Turning?

Colors are used as a symbol of a dragon's tribe, and there are additional pieces of symbolism seen in colors and how others perceive those colors. When Winter lands in the Rainforest, he is overwhelmed by the array of colors, especially when the RainWings can change their scales to be so many different colors. After Winter has spent a little time with Moon, he realizes that NightWings are not solid black as he had assumed. They are “dark purple, with shades of dark blue and green mixed in” (82).