View source for Rivals (short story)

{{Book
|title = Rivals
|author = [[Richard Lee Byers]]
|publisher = Dragon magazine #343
|type = Short story
|included_in = [[Dragon magazine 343]] <br> [[Year of Rogue Dragons (omnibus)]]
|realm year = early-to-mid 1360s [[DR]]<ref group="note" name="NN">In the story, Stevvin Hightower is accompanied by [[Red Plumes]], a force that was assembled by [[Maalthiir]] in {{yearlink|1357}} and nigh-immediately begin the oppression of demihumans in Hillsfar. Given Dorn does not recognize the novelty of their attitude to demihumans, a few years must have passed for him to consider it normal, though it is impossible to say how many. During ''Rage'', Dorn also claims that after meeting Raryn, they joined forces with [[Pavel Shemov]], and two years later, with [[Will Turnstone]]. Assuming Will had been a hunter for some years, per ''Ruin'', and that "some" means at least three, that narrows the years in which the story could happen to the range of 1357 to 1368 DR, with a greater likelihood to be near the latter end of this range. Making a conservative estimate that Hillsfar has been under Maalthiir's control for at least three years, giving time for Stevvin to become a veteran of the Red Plumes (and for their prejudices to percolate beyond Hillsfar), that narrows down the range to 1360-1368 DR. Further searching may yet narrow these values.</ref>
|edition1 = ''Dragon Magazine 343''
|edition2 = ''Year of Rogue Dragons Omnibus''
|released = May 2006
|pages = 59&ndash;65
|released2 = November 2010
|pages2 = 
|followed_by = 
|code = 
}}

'''Rivals''' is a short story written by [[Richard Lee Byers]]. It was published in [[Dragon magazine 343]], and later republished in [[The Year of Rogue Dragons (omnibus)|The Year of Rogue Dragons Omnibus]]. It narrates the first encounter between [[Dorn Graybrook]] and [[Raryn Snowstealer]].<ref name="D343-p59_65">{{Cite dragon/343/Rivals|59-65}}</ref><br />

==Summary==
[[Raryn Snowstealer]] and [[Dorn Graybrook]] travel independently to [[Pilver's Creek]] in the [[Moonsea]] to pursue a bounty for a [[white dragon]]. After Dorn saves Raryn from a band of bullies, he explains that the people of the Moonsea are prejudiced against nonhumans; despite his advice, Raryn decides to try and pursue the bounty anyway. The local mayor, [[Stevvin Hightower]], is reluctant to hire Dorn, who is a fugitive bondsman who has slain his master; however, having seen him in the arena before, he agrees to hire him. Raryn pleads a case that he is a better tracker, and that he could find the dragon; Stevvin decides to hire both, and pay them according to their relative contributions. They are joined by Stevvin and a small band of [[Red Plume]] warriors.

Along the way, Raryn attempts to teach Dorn some tracking skills, and later reveals that rather than a dragon, the creature is a cryohydra. Stevvin still needs it slain; they find the reptile slightly torpid, and manage to slay it quickly; after its death, Stevvin turns on them and captures the two, intent on claiming both the bounties for the dragon and for Dorn. His men capture Raryn as well; the dwarf warns them that the hydra has a mate that may return at any moment, but the warning goes unheeded. Raryn and Dorn manage to free themselves, but while they try to sneak out, the cryohydra returns, and they decide to stay and fight; after the battle, Raryn and Dorn take Stevvin hostage, claim their reward, and flee together by sailboat.

==Index==
:;Characters
:{{P|[[Dorn Graybrook]]|59-65}} • {{P|[[Raryn Snowstealer]]|59-65}} • {{P|[[Stevvin Hightower]]|60-65}}

:;Fauna
:{{P|[[fish]]|61}} • {{P|[[otter]]|61}} • {{P|[[oysters]]|60}}
::{{refonly}}
::<small>{{P|[[crawfish]]|60}} • {{P|[[snake]]|61}}</small>

:;Flora
:{{P|[[oak]]|61,62}} • {{P|[[wildflowers]]|61}} • {{P|[[willow]]|61}}

:;Creatures
:{{P|[[cryohydra]]|61}}
::{{refonly}}
::<small>{{P|[[troll]]|62}} • {{P|[[white dragon]]|60,61,62}}</small>

:;Ethnicities
:{{P|[[snow dwarf]]|59-65}} • {{P|[[half-golem]]|59-65}}
::{{refonly}}
::<small>{{P|[[halfling]]|60}}</small>

:;Locations
:{{P|[[Moonsea]]|60-65}} • {{P|[[Pilver's Creek]]|59}}
::<small>{{P|[[Great Glacier]]|60}} • {{P|[[Hillsfar]]|60,61,63,65}}</small>

:;Magic
::{{P|''[[bull's strength]]''|64}} • {{P|''[[cat's grace]]''|64}} • {{P|''[[cure light wounds]]''|63,64}} • {{P|''[[fireball]]''|62}} • {{P|''[[lightning bolt]]''|62}} • {{P|''[[magic missile]]''|65}}

:;Deities
::{{refonly}}
::<small>{{P|[[Malar]]|59}} • {{P|[[Tymora]]|64}}</small>

:;Organizations
:{{P|[[Red Plumes]]|60,64,65,62,63,61}}

:;Equipment
:{{P|[[axe]]|65}} • {{P|[[backpack]]|59}} • {{P|[[bastard sword]]|62}} • {{P|[[boots]]|61}} • {{P|[[bow]]|63,65}} • {{P|[[breastplate]]|60}} • {{P|[[canoe]]|60,65}} • {{P|[[club]]|59}} • {{P|[[ebony]]|60}} • {{P|[[grimoire]]|60}} • {{P|[[harpoon]]|59,65}} • {{P|[[helm]]|60,61}} • {{P|[[knife]]|59}} • {{P|[[robe]]|60}} • {{P|[[sailboat]]|65}} • {{P|[[scroll case]]|60}} • {{P|[[spear]]|62}} • {{P|[[sword]]|60,61}} • {{P|[[wand]]|60}}

:;Other
:{{P|[[warrior]]|60}} • {{P|[[wizard]]|60}}
::{{refonly}}
::<small>{{P|[[fur]]|60}} • {{P|[[herb]]||60}} • {{P|[[snakeskin]]|60}} • {{P|[[talisman]]|60}}</small>
<!--{{P|[[Dorn's parents]]|61,64}}-->

==Appendix==
===Notes===
{{notes}}
===References===
{{refs}}
[[Category:Works by Richard Lee Byers]]
[[Category:Published in 2006]]