The door slid open with a hiss, and the first wave of cool, hay-scented air washed over the students. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked twice, then fell silent.

A figure stood at the top of the wooden steps, boots planted wide, one hand resting on the rail. She wore a wide-brimmed hat, a faded denim jacket over a simple shirt, and a revolver-style support item holstered at her hip. The ranch stretched behind her—paddocks, a weathered barn, chickens pecking in the yard.