The morning started out like any regular morning waking up, drinking some coffee, eating breakfast (injured gnomes). Nixxie went over to her store's window and flipped the sign letting everyone know that her store was open.

A couple hours into opening a few customers came in. A few humans, a large Tauren, even a Pandaren. Nixxie was filling the paperwork from her last sold gnome when the front door's bell rang.

Nixxie looked up to see who entered her store. In came a large female Dwarf. She was about 4 feet tall, had long fiery red hair put into braids going down her front. She was wearing an elegant white robe with gold ribbons on the border of it. She had on all cloth wielding a large glowing staff in the shape of a cross in a circle.

Nixxie was surprised to say the least. She could feel the holy aura coming off of the dwarf and she knew she was a priest. What perplexed her was that priests never liked the idea of gnome's. Like Druid's, they cared for many creatures (unless they were shadow priests, but this one wasn't giving off a dark feeling).

The Dwarf walked up to the counter and spoke in thick accent.

{~ I’m not even going to try to write with it I think I butchered the troll chapter ~}

 "Great to meet ya" she smiled. "My names Herona, I’m looking for a docile gnome, maybe one that follows commands".

Nixxie raised an eyebrow, not only did this priest want a gnome she wanted an obedient one? "Well I have multiple gnomes that are to that standard" replied Nixxie. "Any type you want in particular"?

Herona just smiled "it doesn't matter to me, be it male or female, small or large". Nixxie grinned at this. She had some larger gnome's some close to 10 inches tall, most people didn't want them that big, well accept maybe Tauren.

"Well then right this way". Nixxie led the dwarf around towards the back to some of the larger cages. She pulled a 2 by 2 foot cage out and put it on the table. In the cage was 5 gnome's all around 9 inches to 11 inches.

"These guys are pretty obedient, they will do whatever ya need" Nixxie grinned. Herona looked the gnome's over slowly. After about five minute's she said "Are ya sure these guys are all you got? The one near the back looks A bit feisty, and the one's in the front seem like they have their tails between there legs' she frowned

Nixxie thought it over. These gnomes’ did follow commands, but they weren't as submissive as the smaller ones. She thought it over for a while then something clicked in her mind.

"I think I have what you’re looking for" Nixxie closed the cage and pushed it back in its place. She went around towards the back corner of her store and pulled out a cage. Inside was just one Gnome about six inches in size.

Unlike most gnomes who were violent or scared, this gnome was just simply passive. When ordered he would follow what was said to the dot. It didn't matter if he was told to go into a blender he would show no fear.

She had him in a cage with others, but for some reason gnome's tend to be violent towards each other they don’t really work well together. The exception might be a female and male gnome but they would likely just breed.

This gnome when confronted for a fight just stood there and did nothing. After watching him get mauled by the other gnome's in his cage she put him in his own cage for his safety. She didn't care when gnome's duked it out, it didn't bother her. What got her attention was a gnome who did just what he was commanded to do.

An untrained wild gnome who followed orders who would have thought. Nixxie put her hand in the cage and ordered the gnome to walk onto her hand. The gnome did as he was told. "This little guy is an odd case, unlike other's he doesn't seem to have much will I’m not sure why" Nixxie told the dwarf.

Herona looked the gnome over with curiosity. "May I hold the little fella?" she asked. Nixxie handed her the gnome and waited to see what would happen.

Herona looked the gnome over and smiled at him. To Nixxie's utter shock, the gnome (without being commanded) jumped off Herona's hand and onto her shoulder.

"What the heck!" Nixxie spat out. She was beyond shocked that he had done something of his own accord. "H-He just did something without being told!" Nixxie got a little worried. People couldn't know she was selling un-obedient trained gnomes.

She got ready to grab the gnome but Herona put her hand over him first. "I'll take him". Nixxie's jaw almost hit the floor. This dwarf wanted an obedient gnome not one who did what he wanted, yet she wanted him?

Herona just smiled at the gnome petting his head with her index finger. Nixxie thought it over; she could sell the gnome but what if he turned out bad? People would start having second thoughts of her *Fine* establishment. But there were two side's to the coin. She had this gnome for a while he wasn't going to be young forever. Selling him now mean’s she didn't waste money on him, or supplies.

Plus she wouldn't have to worry about him getting dragged into fights with the other gnome's. Nixxie weighed her options. "Alright" she finally said. "I'll ring him up".

The dwarf started walking to the front of the store with the gnome just sitting on her shoulder. Nixxie started crunching the numbers for the little gnome. He was a little over 6 inches, he was in decent condition, but his lack of emotions might be a problem later on.

"Alright, your total will be 1k even" Replied Nixxie. She would have charged at least 500 more for mostly any other gnome but this one might come back to bite her. She wanted to just play it safe.

Herona pulled out some of her gold and paid the goblin for the gnome on her shoulder. "Alright just sign here and he's all yours" Nixxie told the dwarf. She signed the parchment and handed it back to Nixxie. Nixxie looked it over, "Alright you’re good to go". Nixxie shook the dwarf’s hands and waved her bye as she left the store.

Several hours later Nixxie still couldn't stop thinking one thing over, "That gnome showed no emotion’s what so ever...” so why he would react to that dwarf confused her even more. This plagued her for a while till she shook her thoughts away at the sound of her front door being opened.

“Welcome to Nixxie's Pet Shop, How may I help you?”

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~outside Nixxie's store~

Herona walked a good distance from the store before she started to talk to the gnome on her shoulder. "You can understand me can't ya?" the gnome looked up at her and nodded.

To most this would startle people gnomes didn't speak any known language let alone understand other's besides basic commands yet this gnome did?

Herona was different than most people, like most priest's she was calm collect and very optimistic. She knew many languages alliance and horde even unaligned races. This was a skill she needed to have in case of finding something or someone wounded.

She took her duties very seriously. It didn't matter if you were friend or enemy; if you were in need she helped people, It was in her nature.

She had studied gnomes for the longest time; they were a mystery to her. Once alliance now pets? She knew why but she wanted to learn about them. After a few years of study she decided to buy her first gnome.

Unlike most people she thought of gnome's as living creatures who were friend's not food, not toys, maybe pets in some cases but she would never treat gnome's as bad as other's might.

"Can you speak any languages?" she asked the gnome on her shoulder. After a minute the gnome shook his head. She frowned at this she was looking forward to having an intelligent gnome to talk to. She thought it over she would try to teach him common, hopefully he would get the hang of it.

"Are you happy to be out of that store"? She asked. The gnome sat there impassively for a while. After a moment he nodded.

"Well let's celebrate then" she grinned. Herona pulled out a hearthstone and started to fade as she was sent to the inn she was staying at.

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~Kharanos~

Herona pocketed her hearthstone and walked inside the front door of the Thunderbrew Distillery. Unlike most inn's it was more of a tavern then an inn. There where massive keg's aligning the walls, Dwarfs where all around drinking singing and betting.

Herona smiled, she enjoyed this inn the most, unlike other inn's it beckoned to her, and it felt like home. She walked to the front of the bar and sat down, with the little gnome still sitting on her shoulder.

"Hey bartender"? She called out, a fat dwarf with scraggly messy hair walked towards her a moment later. "What can I do ya for?" he asked with a tipsy smile. "I thought the customer's where supposed to get drunk not the bartender's" she smirked.

The male dwarf laughed out "Hahaha yea that might be true in most place's" he grinned. "Good to see ya Herona" She smiled, "It's good to see ya to Haithond" she smiled. “I may be drunk but who’s that little man on your shoulder?" he half slurred out.

"This little guy's with me" she smiled warmly at the gnome on her shoulder. "Alright then" he shrugged. "What will it be?" "A pint of your specialty ale" she smiled. "OH and if you got it a small cup for the little guy" she grinned.

The dwarf laughed at the statement. "Coming right up, oh I got to see this!" he went around the back leaving Herona with the loud group of dwarfs, and some other's singing and drinking.

After a few minutes the ragged dwarf came back carrying 2 pints of ale and a thimble. He grinned at Herona, "Hope this doesn't kill the little fella, it nearly knocked you off your ass when you first had it" he laughed loudly.

"He’ll be fine" she smiled down at the gnome on her shoulder. She took the thimble and dunked it in her cup filling it up to the brim. "Here ya are" she handed it to the gnome who was watching with what looked like amusement. Both dwarfs looked at the gnome with anticipation.

Slowly the gnome pulled the large (to him) thimble of ale and took a large sip of it. As if on cue both dwarfs burst out laughing as the gnome's eye's bulged out of there sockets. he had never had anything like it, He was coughing and had some of the ale dripping down him.

"Hahahahahaha looks like you got yourself a lightweight" the rugged dwarf grinned. Herona stopped her laughing after a moment. "He will get the hang of it eventually" she grinned. "It gets better trust me" she smiled at him.

The gnome brought the cup up to his face again and (Very slowly) took a small sip of it. Herona looked happy at his reaction this time. "See he likes it, I told ya he would get the hang of it".

The rugged dwarf shrugged. "Well if he can hold his ale who am I to judge" he smiled. "To your tiny friend!" she clanked her glass to her friend's as they drank and talked into the night.

-Hours later-

After a couple hours the gnome on her shoulder was thoroughly smashed. "Hehehe i told ya he was a light wait he only had 3 thimbles" the rugged dwarf laughed. Herona frowned at her friend. "He's 1/10th the size of ya, of course he couldn’t drink pints like us. Plus it's his first time" she smiled

"Heheh don’t get upset now, I was me merely pointing it out" he grinned. The small gnome was almost spinning on her shoulder too drunk to walk. This of course was just making the dwarfs laugh more.

"Hehehe well it's been a fun night Herona but I got other customer's to attend to, I can't be showing favoritism" he laughed out. "We got to get together sooner than this, it's always a good day when ya stop by. Oh and bring your tiny friend again I got more stuff from him to try" He laughed lively

Herona rolled her eyes and waved goodbye to her friend. It was well past dusk the crowd in the pub was mostly if not only dwarfs. The singing died down, but she could still hear some shouting coming from a couple place's in the inn.

She took a large gulp of her ale and was about to get up, when she felt something moving in her throat. She started to choke and looked at her shoulder. The gnome was gone! With horror in her eye's she started to cough out the lodged gnome she had in her throat out.

~ Gnome's POV ~

This was the best night of his short life; he was having fun laughing like nothing mattered. Plus being smashed never hurt your mood. He was staggering when he lost his footing on Herona's shoulder and plummeted down landing with a splash.

He soon surfaced for air coughing and looking around hazily of what happened. He soon realized he was in his owner’s ale mug. To his horror the mug started to rise to her mouth as she took a huge swig of her ale.

He started falling with the current into her mouth. When he entered he brushed against her tongue and thrashed around, but she didn't notice. With a tilt of her head she swallowed.

As he was going down he went rigid and stopped his fall in her throat. He soon heard his owner choking for air hoping that this didn't hurt her.

~POV END~

Herona was gaging and coughing violently trying to get her friend out of her throat. After what seemed like age's she spat the gnome out on the counter and breathed in her much needed air.

After she caught he breath she was wide eyed at the gnome who laid lifeless on the counter in front of her. She started to panic and pulled out a tome from her bag

Soon a low yellow glow surrounded the gnome. After a few minute's the gnome gasped for air and started coughing violently. She breathed out the breath she didn't know she was holding seeing her friend alive.

"Are you ok" she almost cried. The gnome was slowly breathing but looked at her smiled and nodded. He was happy she was ok. "I think we've had enough drinking for the night" she frowned slightly.

She picked up the small gnome and put him on her shoulder resting him against her neck. The gnome didn't move much as she paid for her tab and went up to her room. As she entered she went over to the bed and laid the small gnome down on her pillow.

She changed into her nightgown and crawled into the bed with him. Herona looked down at the sleeping gnome by her head, he was so fragile and small, but he is a brave one.

She smiled lovingly and gave him a soft kiss on the head as she lay down next to him and dozed off.