The lightningstruck stallion moved silently through the thick underbrush, his heavy frame surprisingly graceful as he navigated the dense foliage of Fern Gulley. The air was rich with the scent of damp earth and blooming flowers, a heady mix that made his nostrils flare with each breath. His ghostly gaze scanned the vibrant blanket of lush greenery that flourished in this hidden paradise. Yet, he knew better than to be deceived by beauty alone. This place, though teeming with life, held as much danger as it did promise.

As he waltzed closer into the gulley, the soft crunch of leaves underhoof was the only sound that accompanied him. Uruk's gaze lingered on a cluster of herbs growing near a small stream, their delicate leaves fluttering in the breeze. He recognized some as medicinal, but others were unfamiliar, their potent scents hinting at a more sinister purpose. The knowledge of the land and what it held was vital, and Uruk was determined to learn it well.

Pausing by a particularly vibrant bloom, Uruk lowered his head, taking in the sharp fragrance. A predator in his own right, he would master this territory as surely as he had the Knolls.

[ 1/3 Explore new land (Fern Gulley) ]

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

Even with spring in full force, and the summer season just around the corner, the western region of Boreas wasn't quite as luscious as he'd anticipated. And so Cygnus was on the move, spending days traveling east in search of something still. The arid, desert biome seemed to give way to something more temperate, sand dunes easing into spots of foliage here and there, then into a grassy field, and finally... to this little slice of heaven.

The lynx crested a hill and was awed at what he saw. Greenery stretched as far as he could see, overtaking the landscape. His golden eyes scanned the horizon, overwhelmed at the sights and smells that hit him all at once. Something dark floated by on the ground, the shadow of a large bird flying overhead across the gulley, and he grew aware of just how teeming with life this place really was. The air was buzzing with the sounds of insects and birds alike, chattering amongst themselves.

The herbal scents grew stronger as he went down the slope he'd been traveling. The feline's nose twitched, mouth parting slightly to take in the smells even deeper, trying to distinguish them - though they were so plentiful that it was difficult to do so. Was that rose he smelled? Or peony, maybe? He thought he caught a whiff of lavender, marigold...

His mind moved swiftly in an attempt to categorize and sort the scents. If he could find something real good, real rare, maybe it'd be worthwhile for him. Passing a thick cluster of wildflowers that served no real purpose, he started to try to sift through all the vegetation more carefully, but it came to his attention he wasn't the only one who had exploration in mind today. The sound of hooves on the underbrush caught his attention, and he jerked his body around to find the source of the sound. A horse - interesting. Not exactly common where he was from, so Cygnus didn't exactly have any experience with the hoofed beasts.

Cocking his head slightly to the side, he decided to speak. Worse case scenario, if the horse proved terrible company, he'd scram. Lots of places for a cat to hide here where he doubted a horse could get to. He already had an escape plan in mind, and he thought back to the closest little grove of trees that wasn't far off from here. "Didn't think a man like you would be such a... flower appreciator," he jested, friendly enough, accompanied by a cheeky grin.

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His ears flicked as he heard the soft, almost silent footfalls of the lynx before the creature even spoke. His ghostly eyes, ominous yet piercing, quickly locked onto the feline that had approached. The stallion stood tall and imposing, his massive frame a stark contrast to the smaller, more agile lynx that stood before him. As Cygnus spoke, Uruk's lips curled into a smirk, finding amusement in the unexpected encounter.

"Flowers?" Uruk's deep voice rumbled with a hint of mockery, his eyes narrowing as he took in the cat's slight frame. "I am here for what lies beneath them - roots that heal and poisons that kill. These petals are just pretty lies they tell to survive." It reminded him a lot of Nuri, poetically. The land around them was alive with movement, branches swaying under the weight of birds fluttering from bush to bush, while insects buzzed in the humid air, their wings catching the sunlight. The ground beneath Uruk's hooves was a patchwork of wildflowers, thick moss, and untamed grass - a vibrant, chaotic quilt that seemed to pulse with the energy of life itself.

He stepped forward, his hooves sinking slightly into the soft earth under his weight, bringing himself closer to the lynx. There was no malice in his approach, just the confidence of a predator that had nothing to fear. The vibrant greenery surrounding them felt almost suffocating in its abundance, and yet Uruk's presence still seemed to command space, bending this fruitful environment to his will.

"And what about you, little cat? You hunting flowers too, or are you after something with a bit more bite?" His gaze held Cygnus' golden eyes, unblinking, challenging, yet curious about what the lynx would say next.

[ 2/3 Explore new land (Fern Gulley) ]

"Speech"

CODE BY SIN

Horse aside, this place had so much to experience. His senses were alight with movement, with sound and smell and color. It was hard to focus completely on the beast before him, nose twitching and little nub of a tail twitching behind him in interest. Sifting through the various scents would take some time, though he was well-prepared to spend a better part of the day perusing the vegetation here and seeing what might prove useful. Cygnus was glad his exploring seemed to be finally paying off - hopefully, at least.

The feline trained on the horse's white eyes, his brow furrowing slightly. The way he puffed up his fur just a bit and protruded his chest said it all - I ain't afraid of no horse, though his eyes trained for a long moment on those dangerous-looking hooves.

"What lies beneath them, eh?" The lynx mused aloud, considering. He knew of such things, at least the basics, but not more than that. "Awfully pretty way of lookin' at things, if I don't say," he goaded lightly. Cygnus wasn't sure about all that, but then again he wasn't exactly what anyone would consider a poetic sort. Flowers were flowers; some helped and some hurt.

He sorta understood how the big equine fellow might feel some sorta way about it though. It was hard to not feel at least a little awed by the beauty of this place, but it wasn't quite enough to distract Cygnus from the task at hand. The lush vegetation stretched all around, the buzzing of insects inviting him to begin exploring.

He instinctively twisted around, facing Uruk properly as he moved closer. Clearly cautious, though he made no effort to move away nor flee quite yet. "I'm after whatever seems most useful. Wasn't quite able to bring my herbs along with me so I'm starting over from scratch," he admitted. Maybe his first task ought to be finding some sort of storage device for whatever he might collect, but he was even less certain where he'd start with that project...

"Name's Cygnus, by the way." Being called little cat didn't quite sit well with him, but he supposed in comparison he was quite small. That fact was enough to keep his temper from flaring. His bobbed tail gave another little wiggle as he sized up the man. "You're looking for poisons - you trying to kill someone, then?"

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