#And I still screwed up

[manicmarsupial]

The Smallest Outlaw- Chapter 7: Snow More Mountains

Over 6 months since the last update. There is actually a valid reason. I needed urgent surgery to get my gallbladder out in February. Whenever your G.P rings you on a Saturday morning, it's never good. There were that many stones on the ultrasound that he couldn't tell if the gallbladder was inflamed or not. Over 50 stones they found!

Then while on a positive recovery for that, the hip operation I had been waiting over 7 years for gave me a weeks notice...at a hospital 150km away. Now I've got to rebuild the strength back up.

Positive side of things, I have been coming up with new ideas for the story...just not in chronological order.

As usual, suggestions welcome.

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Chapter 7

When the storm eventually subsided and the snow had melted enough to move the wagons, the gang decided to start moving down the mountain and head East. Despite my constant protests, Hosea insisted that it was no trouble looking after me. I suspect that he knew I had doubts, probably because Arthur told him, and as such, had decided the best way to stop me running away due to low self esteem was to keep me quite literally in his pocket. I suppose from a survival perspective, he does have a point…and I can’t deny it’s warmer with his heavy coat insulating his body temperature.

I can hear the bustle of the other members of the camp packing up. Above me I recognise Dutch and Arthur talking. I can’t actually hear what’s being said but Dutch sounds confident.

“And we just robbed a Leviticus Cornwall train,” Hosea’s enthusiastic voice practically thunders in my ears, causing me to jump in fright.

It’s a wonder he didn’t have a career on stage with that volume. His next statement of suggesting the gang hide out at a place called Horseshoe Overlook isn’t as loud, but it still rumbles through his chest.

I feel him move as he finishes talking. The distinct ‘clomp’ of a wooden step and an upward swinging motion that made me topple backward meant Hosea boarded the wagon. I hear Arthur make a yell to urge the horses. The sudden movement causes me to stumble back, hitting Hosea’s chest, which feels like being slammed into a brick wall.

“You ‘right in there, Ollie?” his booming voice rumbles

“Oww…” I groan in reply.

“You going to come out of there?”

“No, it’s cold,” I fake whine.

Either ignoring my complaint, or not believing me, Hosea takes me out of his coat pocket and drops me onto his shoulder. I make an attempt to burrow into his scarf but just do my best to wrap part of it around myself and settle against the crook of his neck.

I can’t deny I’ve become quite fond of him. I’m still suspicious that there’s an ulterior motive behind him being nice to me. No one in this crowd of outlaws knows my hearing is absolutely useless. I was going to wait until they got to a town, but knowing they’re outlaws, I’m just going to escape when they get somewhere warmer.

I watch the layers of snow get thinner, and the patches of grass become bigger. I have been up this mountain a few times, but it seems different from the shoulder of a giant. Maybe being smaller had changed my view of things. I really don’t know.

The cart rocks and I’m brought back to reality.

“Get us out of the stream. You gotta keep us moving, but calm,” the volume of his voice reminding me why I favor being on his shoulder.

The sideways rocking of the cart stops for a brief moment as it continues forward.

There is a loud thunk and the cart lurches forward violently. I’m thrown from Hosea’s shoulder, only to land in his open hand.

“Ah, shit,” I hear Arthur grumble.

The cart shakes a little as Arthur gets off amid questions from the other wagons.

“I broke the goddam wheel,” Arthur gripes.

“Alright, let’s get it fixed,” Hosea’s voice practically thunders as he places his other hand over me as he dismounts the wagon.

He quickly hides me behind his shirt collar as another gang member approaches.

“You need some help?” the new arrival asks with a deep, rumbling voice.

I get a brief look at him. He has a dark complexion, as well as some of the features of the native people.

“Alright Charles,” Hosea’s voice snaps me out of my observation.

“You and me hold the thing up while you try to put the wheel back on, Arthur.”

I duck behind Hosea’s collar as he stands at the back of the cart. I feel his muscles tense when he lifts the wagon. There’s some loud thumping as I presume Arthur forces the wheel back on.

“See, you ain’t so useless after all,” Arthur drawls.

“Not quite,” Hosea gives a sarcastic laugh as he kneels down to pick up some of the fallen luggage.

He stops loading the cart and takes a few cautious steps forward. I poke my head around to see him looking up at a cliff, where three local natives are just sitting on their horses.

“What do you think?” Arthur mumbles.

“If they wanted trouble, we wouldn’t have seen them,” the dark-skinned man, Charles replies.

Hosea raises his hand in greeting.

“Poor bastards. We really screwed them over down here,” he explains quietly.

“Come on, let’s not push our luck.”

I hide back between Hosea’s scarf and collar as he starts moving.

“What happened?” I hear Arthur’s voice.

“Well, get in, and I’ll tell ya.”

I feel the rapid change in direction as he mounts the cart.

He gives Arthur directions, then explains the situation with the local tribes. It’s the usual kicked off good land then sent to struggle in dismal areas. There’s a bit of sugar-coating about the army being ‘unpleasant about it’.

“Unpleasant? How do you rob and kill people pleasantly?” Charles asks.

“I fear I was perhaps trying to simplify something more complicated for the benefit of our blockheaded driver here,” Hosea replies, aiming the veiled insult at Arthur.

“Don’t blame it on me. Never forget this is a conman, Charles, born and bred.” Arthur retorts.

Oh, great. As if I needed another reason to be suspicious. Now I find out that I’m being held “captive” by a giant bunko artist.

I hear Charles explain about his tribe, or lack of one, then his leaving home at thirteen. I selectively ignore further talking, focusing on the feel of Hosea’s voice as he speaks while I ponder where to go.

[egophiliac]

IT WAS ERIC AFTER ALL!!!! I'm so glad we got to meet him (before Vil snaps him away with those Infinity Gauntlets) (can't wait to see what happens when we get the matching Infinity Tiara to go with them, there will be no survivors)

(sorry to be so slow/rough lately, just got a lot of stuff on the ol' brain at the moment! alas, if only I could spend all my time drawing incredibly stupid characters I mean I do but)

[floccinaucinihilipilificationa]

[transgendz]

When your entire check goes to bills and catching up on things you'd been putting off for financial reasons.

[starlitmeadows]

La Danse Macabre

[finifugue]

(click for better quality) Got sick of people calling landoscar 'brocedes 2.0' and 'multi-21 2.0' when clearly those old men are actually just waging continuous war vicariously through the experiences of the new generation. So here you guys go

[x-v4mp3y3lin3r-x]

reminder that if you're a Florida voter you've got a responsibility to go out and vote in November because the state constitutional amendments we're voting on are the right to abortion, legalizing marijuana for over 21s, keeping school district elections nonpartisan, free-for-all hunting and fishing, and a few other things.

[suja-janee]

(Mostly) Harumi centric doodle page for a friend

[doctorsiren]

sketchbook pages

[hamable]

He might as well have said I’m Kacchan “Sugoi” Midoriya bitch and you will refer to me as such that’s right I’m marrying him now you fucking asshole

[pepperpixel]

SAID HE LIKES CRAZY GIRLS,

BUT HE HATES WHEN I ACT CRAZY,

IT TAKES TWO TO TOXIC!

FINALLY!!! Finished these pics of jinx I’ve been working on!!!!! HOLY SHIT, these took so long…. But finally… they’re done… pls enjoy this art of my beautiful princess w a disorder. Featuring alternate colors for the big pic and also a closeup! Cuz I rlly like how both the lines and coloring on her face turned out… like the pink gradients w her eye… her deer in headlights expression,, like uve just startled a raccoon digging thru ur trashcan and r two seconds away from getting mauled.. m proud of it!

[mashedmangos]

Gang the art isn't the best rn because it's 2am sos

Anyways, today's '_____ lives au' is Ben :3

[birdsong-warriors]

I don't want to talk about this much, but it may affect page uploads.

Saturday night, I was assaulted and strangled by my brother. This is not the first time he's done this, but it was severely excalated this time. I deserved it. Honestly, I wish he'd succeeded so nobody would have to deal with my shit anymore. I'm still very much in crisis mode, and I'm so sorry if I disappear. I'm praying I can continue working despite the situation, but this may warrant a short break.

I'm so sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, and I'm even more sorry I'm bringing this up at all. I need to stop talking from now on, honestly. I just wanted to communicate why I may poof. I don't know. I'm scared, and I can't do this. But I have to keep going.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

[kaiserouo]

oh yeah destiny is a multiplayer game

[im-no-jedi]

don't mind me, just wanted to take some shots of Hunter's reaction to seeing Batcher find him 🥺💙

(side note: Joel Aron, I love you, but please sir, stop making these shots so dark, they're impossible to color correct 😖)

[starryluminary]

*long, droning sigh* I gave in