Sensing Mana
In his initial month at the academy, Luke demonstrated remarkable progress in all areas of his education, except for one specific field- The mounted combat practice.
His chosen mount, the Griffin 'Brown Pudding', showed absolutely no signs of accepting Luke as it's master, as despite his month long efforts to get into the good graces of the mount, the only progress he seemed to have made was that Brown Pudding now ate the food Luke brought for it directly from his hands.
Luke firmly believed that patience and persistence were key to building a bond with the creature, yet despite his dedication, success remained elusive.
He spent at least an hour each day beside Brown Pudding, talking to it in soothing tones, trying to establish a connection.
He read books on griffin behavior, hoping to find some insight that would help him bridge the gap between them.