Frank Stein Albarn, often known in the region as just Stein, sat at his desk with his booted feet propped up on the polished oak.
He pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose as he looked over an open letter.
He studied it, a mad sort of smile on his face.
There was a heavy nock on his study door.
"Come in, I know it's you Soul, no need to knock" Stein said as he looked up from the letter.
"How'd you know it was me boss?" Asked a gravely voice as the door opened wide, revealing a somber looking young man.
"I heard you dragging your feet all the way down the hall, no one else clomps around like you do."
Stein grinned as he cut his eyes back to the letter he was holding.
Soul shrugged his shoulders and grunted in non committal reply.
"You wanted to see me about somthin' sir?" Soul hedged, as he took his hat off and smacked it against his leg, a small cloud of dust forming.
"I'm leaving tomorrow for Oklahoma, I got some business to look after."
"I don't see what that's got to do with me boss." Soul said evenly as he leaned nonchalant against the door frame.
Stein looked the cowboy straight in the eye. "I'm leaving you in charge boy."
Soul straightened up so fast he almost tripped over his own long legs.
"What?!" His face showed his disbelief, his bored demeanor vanishing.
"You ain't joshin' me now are ya boss?"
Stein shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I'm being completely serious."
Soul grimaced, looking unsure.
"Not that I'm complaining sir, but why me? I thought you, uh.. kinda hated me."
"It's true that you're always grumpy, don't get along well with anyone and sonetimes don't use the common sense God gave ya, but I see the potential in you Evans."
Soul didn't know if he was meant to take his bosses words as compliment or insult.
"Uh, thanks boss?" Soul mumbled.
"You've been a mystery Mr. Evans, ever since the day you came to this ranch, but over the years I've watched you grow and learn. I know you love Forsaken as much as I do. It's just as much your home as it is mine and I know that you will take right proper care of it."
"I am honored boss. I'll do you proud, and I swear I'll work hard and keep everything running smooth while you're gone."
"I trust that you will." Stein chuckled at the young man's heartfelt enthusiasm.
"If you do a right proper job of it, I'll make it a permanent promotion. You'll be Forsaken's new forman when I return."
Wh- what sir?" Soul asked, his eyes going wide.
"You got cotter in your ears boy?" Stein asked, his voice amused.
"I said you're going to be my new forman."
"Thank you sir, I promise you won't regret it." He said at last, lost for words.
Soul had always had the notion that he'd be a forman one day, but he had no idea that it'd happen this fast.
He had gone from cow puncher to ranch forman in the blink of an eye.
Wait until he told Blackstar!
It'd wipe that smug smile right off the bastards face once he found out he was his new boss.
Soul was practically grinning at the thought.
"Of course... I need you to do me a small favor in return." Stein said, his voice a little too ominous.
Soul didn't like the sound of that, but he nodded his head, not wanting to piss off Stein.
"Sure thing boss, what ya need?"
"Did you know that I have a brother?"
"Eh? A brother?" Soul asked a little confused, his mind trying to picture a world with two Steins in it. One was bad enough, he sure didn't want to picture a second in the mix.
"I didn't know you had any kin, you've never mentioned him before."
He was a little curious despite himself, Stein's origins were as murky as his own.
"Well we haven't been on speaking terms sinse we were young bucks." Stein looked almost regretful.
"I find it hard to believe you used to be young boss" Soul said with a snort.
"Don't let the gray hair fool ya boy." Stein grinned, his eyes faraway on some distant memory.
"My brother, sadly, has recently passed away."
"Uh, I'm sorry to hear that sir." Soul mumbled, feeling uncomfortable.
"Which brings me to my favor."
What kind of a favor included a dead brother?
Stein handed the letter he had been holding over the desk.
Soul took the poffered letter carefully in his rough hands, the paper feeling flimsy and light.
He read the letter once, then once again before he looked up at his boss, one pale eyebrow raised in question.
"You have an English nephew coming to live here?"
"He's the last of my kin. I think it's fitting that we be together."
"No offense sir, but is that really the best decision? I mean he sounds like a spoiled English dandy. We have no place for folk like that here, he wouldn't last a week on Forsaken boss."
A wicked smile crept across Stein's face, his eyes shining behing his spectacles with a touch of old wisdom and a heap of madness.
Soul had learned a long time ago to be wary when his boss showed teeth like that.
"I know the English boy wouldn't last here. That's why I'm leaving him under your care while I'm gone." Stein said it so breazily, as if babysitting spoiled kids was an every day job.
"I want you to show him the ropes around the place, get his feet wet a bit. He's probably never done a hard days labor in his life, so I want you to whip him into shape, work him hard and make a fine man out of him. The kind of man that would be useful to Forsaken."
"You can't be serious boss? If I'm going to be running Forsaken why you're away I can't have some dumb English coxcomb clutchin' at my shirt tail all day."
Stein's face darkend slightly. "Let's get one thing straight, that dumb English coxcomb is my only living reletive. Secondly, you won't be running anything if I come back and I find out that you ain't even capable of teaching a single thing to that English green horn. I'm expecting you to have him acting like a regular cowboy by the time I get back, is that understood?"
"Yes sir, understood." Soul nodded, relenting to his unfair fate.
It was impossible to argue with Stein when he put his mind to it.
"My nephew will be here in a weeks time. I've paid for his train ticket here from the ship. You'll take the buck wagon to the train station and pick him up at noon on the 5th. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir." You can count on me boss."
"Good. Now get out." Stein grunted as he turned his attention to the stack of neglected paperwork sitting on his desk.
Soul tipped his hat and ducted out into the hallway, escaping his boss's piercing gaze.
An unexpected promotion, a green English dandy, and a heap of new responsibilities.
It was a lot to take in.
He needed some time to mull over his thoughts.
Creeping out the back door of the main house he headed for the barn, knowing it would be quiet there.
The barn was a great place to collect your thoughts. The familiar smells of the barn wafted out as he opened the big red double doors.
A chorus of happy neighs greeted him as he entered, every horse eagerly leaning their heads over the stall doors.
They stared enthusiastically at him, blowing soft air from their muzzles, eyes bright with anticipation.
"Don't give me those looks." He grumbled affectionately as he pat the neck of the nearest horse.
"Yall have already had breakfast."
The horses continued to stare at him, brown eyes misty and gentle.
"Oh alright, maybe just a nibble."
He couldn't help but relent, he really was a sucker for those big eyes.
He scratched one of the greedy beasts behind the ears.
"Just this once though." He grabbed a bucket of sweet grain from the adjacent feed room. "We don't need any fat nags on the ranch." He warned as he walked down the isle portioning out food into buckets. "And don't you go telling anyone either, or the boss will skin my hide sure as day."
The horses, with food delivered to their stalls promptly ignored Soul as they happily munched.
Ingrates.
He leaned against the far wall and closed his eyes; the sounds of soft horse snuffles and the far off bellows of cattle touching his ears.
He inhaled deeply, his eyes still shut.
The sweet smell of hay and the musky sent of horse coforted him in way.
If he really concentrated he could almost pick out the soft scent of the wildflowers blooming down in the lower pastures.
All the sounds and smells around him were familiar and comforting.
This ranch had been his home for almost his whole life and he loved it with an uncanny passion.
And now, depending on his skills, and the handling of a wayward nephew everything would change.
He would be running Forsaken.
That though made his heart constrict with fear and pride, all in the same beat.
He wouldn't allow let the fear creep in though.
He was made for this job, and he'd do his damned best to be the kind of man Forsaken needed.
"I swear I'll do right by you." He whispered reverently to his surroundings.
"And I promise I won't let no English kid mess it all up."
Nothing was going to stop him from achieving his dreams.