Starting Out
Leona doesn’t have the greatest memory, and she can’t recall much of anything before finding herself in New Haven. She wandered there, hunting enough to feed herself and make a bit of change by selling any inedible parts to the local butcher. She began wrangling horses for the local stables and eventually saved up enough to buy her own horse.
Shortly after, she started making acquaintances. Some of them quickly became friends, such as Weaver Lancaster, Alex Edmerson, Thomas Goodman… and, of course, Cyrus Grant. Leona and Cyrus had immediate chemistry between them. He was a rancher, and she found that when she helped him on an animal drive, the company was even better than the money.
After a large drive with a few others assisting, the group headed to the local saloon to celebrate their success. Alcohol flowed freely and – as is her wont – Weaver started throwing punches and encouraging others to do the same. As she was sparring with Cyrus, one of his punches went wide and struck Leona square in the face instead of his opponent. He was beyond impressed with how hard she hit back before laughing it off and taking her own turn against Weaver. That night, he asked her if she wanted to go get a coffee with him, and the rest was history.
Leona & Cyrus – New Haven to Gilded
Her helpful nature called Leona to take up residence in the Strawberry Welcome Center, where she did everything she could to get newcomers in the territory oriented and foster connections between people. She loved getting to meet so many fascinating people and see them coming together as a community. Unfortunately, the job required her to keep track of a lot of details that were always in flux. It was too much for her to keep track of with her poor memory.
Unable to continue in the role, Leona started feeling untethered and restless. Cyrus suggested they travel for a while to help her unwind. When they stumbled into Gilded territory, it turned out to be just what she needed – what they both needed. Almost immediately, they met Mary Morrison: the owner of Moon Ranch, which they easily settled into as their new home.
Joining Moon Ranch
Leona has both a love and a knack for horses. Mary was looking for more ranch hands like Cyrus to help out with farming and raising animals, but suddenly found herself in need of another horse trainer too. Leona volunteered eagerly, and swiftly got the hang of it. Leona and Cyrus got cozy in their new routines, and Mary constructed a cabin for the couple.
It wasn’t long before Leona earned the credentials to become a horse breeder as well as a trainer. By then, she’d grown obsessed with the strength and grace of Andalusian horses. They became her specialty.
Chapter Two →