Seebo: Annie Brookhollow

The inn was loud and full of life. Seebo sat with Rygorh and Neil at a table in the Pig & Whistle Tavern enjoying an evening ale. The two clerics were discussing something about their recent crafting activities. Seebo looked interested for the sake of the company but actually didn't hear a word they said.

His attention was focused on the patrons of the inn. He enjoyed watching people, see how they act and react. There was a table of dwarves regaling each other with tales of their bravery traveling from the nearby Underdell to Crescent City. They laughed and cheered each other on as each story was told. Neil's priest friend was at the bar talking to a few plain looking fellows while enjoying an ale. He was an odd one, Seebo mused to himself wondering about his particular ties to Jimmy the Tailor.

But the person that caught Seebo's eye was a smaller figure at the far end of the bar trying to get the bartender's attention. This person stood on the barstool much the same way Seebo had to when he ordered his drinks. A lavender cloak with the hood pulled up hid the frame and face of this unknown person. In such a place, that stood out quite blatantly but Seebo was still unable to tell who the person was. The bartender finally came over and spoke with her briefly. He motioned towards Seebo's table, the figure turned slightly but not quite enough to reveal who it was, and the bartender moved on to serve a paying customer.

When she turned, light auburn hair spilled from the hood revealing just enough to keep the mystery of who she was alive. She had small hands, though well groomed. She reached around and pulled her cloak tighter, jumping down from the barstool and moving towards the exit.

She was looking for them and she had found them. Its time to meet this stranger who seems so interested in us, Seebo though to himself. He stood and excused himself from the conversation, making for the door. He reached the exit but could not find the woman. Somehow she had managed to evade him while his back was turned. With a shrug, Seebo turned to head back to his table. His hand went weak and he dropped his mug of ale as he turned to stare in green eyes of a ghost from his past.

---

A shrill scream pierced the chill morning air. A woman cried in fear from behind the inn. She slowly came stumbling out of the side alley, her face ashen white. The constable came rushing to catch her as she dropped to her knees crying.

The sleepy town of Greenfield was unaccustomed to such things. Before long, the whole town had come out to see what was going on. Constable Kerny gathered everyone together and asked them to remain calm while he assessed the situation. He handed the shaken woman to one of his deputies and advanced into the alley.

What he saw was a disturbing scene. Three young halfling men lay on the ground with weapons beside them and a young girl lay next to the far wall. Kerny rushed to the woman to see how bad she was hurt. He body was covered in bruises and patches of blood but she had no visible cuts. The blood appeared to be from the two others. She still breathed, though very unevenly. He quickly checked the other three bodies, all dead. He lifted the young girl in his arms and carried her out to the street. "Get the healer, Annie needs some help now!"

A few people from the crowd ran off down the street. The inn door opened and a portly halfling came stumbling out holding the back of his head. A deputy rushed over to him, helping him steady himself. The man looked up seeing the constable carrying his daughter and cried in anguish, running over to him.

The next few hours were spent trying to figure out what happened. Annie was resting comfortably in a bed at the inn while Kari, the town healer, watched over her. Her father had suffered a vicious blow to the back of his head but suffered no apparent permanent damage. Constable Kerny talked to the distraught innkeeper trying to discern what transpired the night before.

"These four boys walked in and started poking around. They were after my lockbox. Before I knew it, one of ‘em had snuck around and clocked me in the back of the head. Everything went dark and the next thing I knew it was morning. One of ‘em said he was Seebo, it was the damndest thing."

"Annie looks like she'll be ok. I'll have to ask her what happened and who those other boys were when she wakes up if that's alright with you."

The constable and innkeeper talked for a few more minutes before heading up to check on Annie. Though weak she was coherent enough to give a quick description of what happened. The four boys had indeed stolen her father's lockbox. She had watched them attack him and then swipe the box. She had thought they killed him so she went and grabbed his crossbow and stopped them in the alley. She fired and took down one of them but before she could reload, two of the others had grabbed her and started beating her. The third walked closer and she could see his face. She recognized his voice. It was Seebo. She didn't understand what he was doing with these thugs. But it was Seebo that saved her. He turned on his two friends. He killed them before they could kill her. She went unconscious before the fight ended but she knew what he had done had saved her life.

The constable listened attentively to her story. He gave her a comforting pat and told her to rest. He would have this whole thing sorted out. He motioned for the innkeeper to follow him outside so they could speak privately.

"I'm not sure I completely believe her. It sounds like Seebo is the one who caused this whole mess but I know her judgment may not be reliable right now because of both what happened last night and her past relationship to the boy. I want you to keep an eye on her and make sure she gets better. I think I need to try and track Seebo down and see what kind of trouble he's brought down on us."

Weeks went by and Annie made a full recovery. She was a picture of beauty once more, spry as ever. She was not as cheerful though. In the weeks she had spent recovering, rumors of Seebo and the vile associations he kept floated through the town. The constable had found out the three boys that were killed the night Annie was attacked were criminals. Seebo assumedly was as well though there was no record of him. Annie was the only one in town who refused to believe he would do such things, commit such atrocities.

When she had recovered, she vowed she would find him and find out the truth. She spent a few days gathering her belongings and made ready to head out. Her father vehemently opposed her leaving but there was little he could do to stop her. Not wanting her to leave on bad terms, he made his peace and let her go, giving her a kiss on the forehead and telling her to come home safely. She set out to find her childhood friend, Seebo, "The Knife."

---

The hours passed by and the two halflings continued to talk well into the evening. Seebo sat with Annie Brookhollow, the girl he grew up with, the girl he had loved, the girl he had though he killed. Years of pain and guilt were washed away at seeing her alive and well. He told her everything that had happened. He wanted her to know everything that had happened to him. She was his salvation.

Likewise, Annie wanted to tell Seebo everything that had happened to her. It had been a long and very dangerous journey trying to find him. She had followed the path of "The Knife" the entire way. From Chillhame to Crescent City, she had followed the rumors, eventually tracking him down to this inn. She told Seebo of all the rumors about "The Knife" as well as a ship captain named Seebo too. Annie was pleasantly surprised to find out that Captain Seebo was in fact the same Seebo that sat with her.

It was like old times. Annie and Seebo laughed and talked through the entire night. For the first time in a long time, Seebo had found his happy. The darkness of his past and future didn't seem so dark anymore. He felt at peace with himself and able to face whatever was to come.

Late that evening, Seebo escorted Annie to his ship where he introduced her to his companions, the Starborn. He showed her to some quarters and told her she's welcome to stay until they left town. Little did he know that she had no intention of leaving now that she had found him after searching for so long. His future was to be her future as well.