Jeb Stone was a grizzled rancher who lived on the outskirts of Sagebrush, and had come with the second wave of migration once our little town found its feet.

He was middle-aged, somewhere in his early 40’s, and peered at me with green eyes from across a driftwood kitchen table and over the rim of a tin coffee cup.

“Twenty head. Prime heifers. Gone without a trace,” he explained.

Jeb had a way with words.

As I sat across from him, I took a sip of my own coffee and cocked an eyebrow. “No trace? What about enemies? Interested buyers who couldn’t pony up? Anything of the sort?”

Jeb just shook his head. It was obvious he wasn’t going to be any help, so I’d have to conduct an investigation all on my own.

I stroked my chin, looking out the window of his humble shack and into his paddock, where a lone calf grazed.

I set my cup down and stood, placing a hand on my right iron and the other out stiffly to shake Jeb’s weathered hand.

“Somehow I’m gonna figure this out, Mr. Stone. In the meantime, I advise you to keep this to yourself and carry on as usual.”

Swear an Iron Vow – Dangerous
Heart 2 + Action 6 + Sagebrush Bond 1 = 9
Challenge 10 & 8 = Weak Hit
Take +1 momentum; the path forward is unclear

Ask the Oracle
Action 93 = Journey
Theme 88 = Knowledge
The answers lie elsewhere

Tipping my hat, I offered my thanks and stepped out to investigate the property.