Walking Dead ECL 3, Navarre, Whisper Gnome, Paladin of Freedom level 3:Bio

"One of my men told me you'd returned. I wanted to cut his throat for lying, cuz I KNEW you weren't that stupid."

The gnome turned his head slowly and tried to shift the human child a little higher on his back. The boy was barely conscious and wasn't doing much on his part to hang on.

"We've known each other long enough, Joren. We both know you don't need a reason to cut someone's throat."

The warden advanced into the alley behind the guards' headquarters and drew his longsword. "Indeed. But I'd say this time I won't even get a second look for killing two 'escaping prisoners' - much less a hearing."

"You need to stop now. Now!"
   
"Or what, little worm?" Joren took two more large steps forward, cutting the distance between the enemies in half.
       
"Or this." The gnome  reached into an open bag at his belt and yanked out a ring of keys. He held them up just long enough for the captain to see them, then tossed them into an open grating against one grimy wall. There was a satisfying "sploosh" followed by a more satisfying "MY MISSING KEYS!"

"Not just your keys." The gnome reached into the bag and pulled out two more rings. "All the keys. So unless you want to fight the rats for them…." He raised an eyebrow and made tossing motions. "You need to stop."

"You've been a pain in my shoe my entire career! Eleven years I had to deal with your ugly face giving me grief."

This brought a sharp bark of a laugh. "So delicate you are! But let me refresh your memory. Twenty three DAYS total - not years -  you dealt with my face in your cells. Six. Not eleven….. six …. YEARS!" The gnome skidded a second set of keys across the stones and it clattered right up to the edge of the grate. "Six years is what I 'had to deal', walking around on YOUR handiwork."

Captain Joren made a halfhearted lunge for the keys, but when they didn't fall into the sewers, he turned and growled. "I shouldn't a-broke your legs those times. I shoulda CUT them OFF! Either way. How far you think a lame gnome carrying a lame boy is gonna get?"

"He's not lame. He's exhausted. You left him hanging in a cell, you bastard. For - what? 4 days now? No food? No water? So all pretense is gone. You're finally free to wallow in your own crapulence."
       
The captain glared, and then stood up straight and laughed. "Oh! This is beautiful! You've had a mid life change of heart. Gone and become a holy defender for a city you'd just as soon watch sink beneath the waves. Hahahaha! Hells, but you make a piss poor excuse of a paladin."

"You have a piss poor excuse of a city, old man. I assume it will take whatever defenders it gets."

"This is bigger than anything you could imagine little worm." Joren began advancing slowly. "This is changing-of-an-age big. You really think you can make the tiniest difference? To anyone?"

A small shrug. "Made a difference to this one. And you don't listen very well." The gnome crouched and flung the last set of keys hard between the captain's legs. Joren spun and saw them bang against the other ring, knocking it over the edge of the grate and into the sewer depths. The last ring teetered on its precipice - first one key dangling over the side. Then 2. Then 4.

"NOOOO!" Joren dropped his sword and dived for the last known keys to his fortress. He hit the ground with a thump and skidded over the metal grid, fumbling for the falling treasure. 2 gasps later, he froze, holding the tip of the last key between two fingers. Loud unnatural squeaking came up from below and he quickly (as he dared) lifted the keys out of their abyss and stood. The entire front of his captain's uniform was smeared with mud and slime from the alley stones. His sword lay at his feet, the precious keyring gripped in both his fists, and the gnome….

was gone.

Couldn't be! I know he didn't run past me!  Joren grabbed his sword and ran down the shadowy corridor. After 40 feet, it came to a dead end, with 3 open doors leading to 3 pitch black building interiors beyond. His clenched knuckles turned white with rage and he bellowed into the overcast sky.

"NAVARRE!"