The Knolls were eerily quiet in the aftermath of the battle, the once-vibrant land now subdued as most of the herd had been driven out. Uruk stood on one of the larger mounds, his gaze sweeping over the territory he had disturbed. The scent of blood still lingered in the air, a reminder of the brutal fight that had secured his place against his father. Those who had chosen to stay, the few brave enough to follow he and Asa, were scattered around the Knolls, silently going about their business. But, Uruk's mind was restless..

He had witnessed Asa's ferocity in battle - how she had dispatched enemies with precision and speed; her carefully aimed attacks kept her battles short, but with her triumphant. It had been a display of raw power and skill that even he, in his strength, had to admire. More than that, it had sparked a desire for him to learn, to hone his own abilities beyond sheer brute force. He needed to understand how to strike with the same deadly accuracy, the accuracy of a predator, to know where the vitals were and how to exploit them in battle.

Uruk's ghostly white hooves moved with a purpose as he turned his thick frame on the mound he stood on, seeking out the mare who had fought beside him. Whether she was near or far, he would find her.

The sight of her, with her tall antlers that reminded him of the way she bested her enemies, only solidified his resolve.

"Asa," he called, his voice carrying naturally the weight of command, but was laced with an underlying respect. He approached her, his expression serious, his ghostly white eyes examining her closely as he considered his request. Would his desire to learn make him appear weak to her? His muscles tensed at the thought, rippling beneath his thick gray hide and he lifted his head impressively tall.

"I need to learn what you know. How you fought. How you killed them so swiftly. How you knew where to hit. Teach me?" There was no hesitation in his request, no doubt in his voice. If Uruk was to be a Warchief, he knew there was more for him to learn; he was young, after all. And in Asa - should she agree, he had found the perfect mentor to sharpen his skills and prepare him for what was to come.

[ 1/3 Received a fighting lesson from another character (Asa) ]
[ 1/3 Explored a new land (Buffalo Knolls) ]

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

Asa moved along the Knoll, velveteen lips cropping at the cool, sweet grass of spring. There was an easiness in the mare that formerly hadn't been there. She'd always felt on edge with Khargol at the head of the herd. His distaste for her and her brutish ways, as he so delightfully called them, forced the spotted mare to be an outlier. Now that she had aided in overthrowing the bastard, Asa ate the juiciest grass from the best hills. That was her right. Snow tipped ears flicked upwards at the sound of approaching hooves. The mare's head lifted, eyes of fire fixing upon the massive form of Uruk as he drew near. She gave a friendly flick of the tail, a quiet nicker emanating from her. They'd formed a bond during their coup. She was still feeling the young stallion out, but he had killed beside her twice now and that meant something to the antlered woman. Uruk's voice was tinged with authority and Asa's blazing gaze narrowed. It would do him well to not get too big of a head too quickly. She hadn't let his father cow her and she wouldn't let him do so either. He then moved on to compliment her fighting style and the woman's ego was soothed for now. The young man asked her to teach him and a soft scoff of amusement left the mare's nares. Tipping her skull, she beckoned for him to follow. The corpses of the slain horses lay at the edge of the plain, a reminder of what their passive natures had brought upon them. She pointed to the draft with the busted skull. Already insects were amassing within. "Heads are soft. Bring your enemy down, give them a little stomp. Done." Next she moved to the stallion with the punctured abdomen. It still stank of putrid bowel gasses. "Bellies are soft. Horses rear up. Take advantage when you can with that big horn of yours." Asa tinked one antler against Uruk's horn. "You have this. Use it." Asa then moved away from the stinking pile of dead flesh, assuming that Uruk would follow. "It takes practice and an intense awareness of your surroundings. You need to feel at home in your own body and know what it's capable of." Perhaps it all sounded cryptic, but that was truly how she thought of it. "Asa"

At first, the young stallion thought his fears were true - she did think him weak; the way she narrowed her gaze at him and scoffed at his request. He could feel his heart quicken in pace as he watched her, but then... she motioned him to follow and relief swept over him. Without any hesitation, he followed.

Uruk listened intently as Asa spoke, her words blunt and direct, much like the mare herself. His ghostly white eyes followed her every move, absorbing the widom she imparted with each lesson. He knew that Asa wasn't one to bend to authority, and that was something he respected her for; she was strong. As they approached the bodies at the end of the plains, he admired; she was in her element, and he - he was a student.

Uruk followed her from body to body without hesitation, his large frame moving with an eagerness to learn. The sight of the corpses, the remnants of their victory, did not unsettle him; instead, they served as a reminder of the path he had chosen. Asa's first lesson was simple but profound. The head: soft and vulnerable. Uruk nodded, understanding that even the strongest opponent could be brought low with a well-placed strike to the head.

He observed as Asa moved to the stallion with the ruptured abdomen. The stench was overpowering, but Uruk did not flinch. Instead, he leaned in, eyes narrowing as he carefully examined the wound she'd inflicted with her antlers. Asa's words about the belly being soft, especially when horses reared, made perfect sense. He felt the tingle of her antler against his horn, reminding him of the weapon he carried at all times. He had used it instinctively on his father, but now - he understood how to wield it with a purpose.

"Understood," he murmured, his tone softer, more thoughtful than before. He knew what those narrowed eyes had meant now, it wasn't her judgement, it was his commanding tone. Uruk was learning to balance himself. "I've relied on brute force, but I see now that there is more to it. Precision.. timing.. knowing when and where to strike."

He followed Asa again as she moved away from the decaying bodies, her words about practice and awareness resonating with him. Uruk had always been powerful by blood, but due to the pacifist nature of Khargol, he had not been trained how to use it. This was about more than strength - it was about control, about mastering not just the battlefield, but himself.

"I'll practice," he said, his voice carrying a note of humility. "I want to learn to use my strength the way that you do - efficiently, effectively. Show me how to become more than just a blunt force."

There was no arrogance in his request this time, no trace of the commanding tone he had used earlier. In this moment, Uruk was a pupil, eager to learn from who he deemed the best. Asa had earned his respect, and now he sought to earn the skills that would make him worthy of the land he would lay claim to.

[ 2/3 Received a fighting lesson from another character (Asa) ]
[ 2/3 Explored a new land (Buffalo Knolls) ]

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

Uruk followed along behind her like a giant puppy, eager to learn. Eager to please. Asa liked that. The man was still young and he should show some humility to his elders. As she pointed out the weaknesses in the big, very dead stallions, Uruk listened with rapt attention. He didn't interrupt or speak out, simply listened. Fiery eyes watched the gears turn within his head.

"Situational awareness," the mare spoke once more. "Be observant. Always know what's going on around you. Pay attention to detail. Not just the details of the enemy, but the details of the terrain, of others in the herd, of the weather, of the sounds that the birds make." She was probably confusing the shit out of him, but he wanted to learn her ways. These were her ways.

Asa picked up her pace, shifting into a gentle canter as she made her way back towards the rest of the herd. Better to get away from the stench of death before she became nose-deaf. Uruk followed and she only slowed when the spring air was sweet and crisp once more. "To be efficient and effective, it takes time, practice and, most of all, patience. Most opponents will lose their head; give in to anger and fury. That makes them stupid. Makes them full of mistakes." Asa lifted a brow and canted her head slightly. "A river with no rocks flows faster than one full of boulders."




"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

Uruk absorbed Asa's words like a sponge, his mind racing to keep up with the new concepts she was introducing. Situation awareness - knowing the terrain, the weather, even the sound of the birds - these were details he had never considered useful in a fight. But, as Asa spoke, he realized how crucial they were. His previous battles had been driven by raw power, but there was more to being a true fighter than brute strength.

As they cantered away from the stench of death, Uruk's mind continued to churn. Asa's metaphor about the river struck him. He understood it - how letting anger cloud judgment could lead to mistakes. He nodded slowly, committing her advice to memory. He had a feeling.. he would need it.

"I see now," he said, more to himself than to Asa. "It's not just about striking first or hardest. It's about waiting for the right moment, seizing opportunity, and letting the enemy's mistakes be their downfall."

There was utter respect in his gaze as he looked to Asa, eager to apply what he had learned to his next encounter. His eyes stretched out over the knolls; they were like a rolling sea of green, dotted with large hill-shaped mounds that rose and fell with the rhythm of the land. Each mound was covered in thick, lush grass that seemed to glow with a life of its own, whispering secrets of the past to those that would listen.

The air was thick with the scent of rich earth and fresh grass, mingling with the distant echo of hoofbeats. The Knolls seemed to stare back at him with a reverent stillness, as if the land itself was watching, waiting to see the one that would claim it as their own.

[ 3/3 Received a fighting lesson from another character (Asa) ]
[ 3/3 Explored a new land (Buffalo Knolls) ]

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN