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Sea was on a mission. That mission? To become the best player there ever was! After Taji, of course...she doubted she could ever be as good as he was. The best wild dog player there ever was, then! She liked that idea, especially since she had lots of competition with her brothers and sisters that were dedicated to becoming a player. She was currently out for a run to try to increase her stamina. It certainly wasn't her weakest point, but it wasn't her strongest, either, and after a lesson from Taji she had learned that it was important to exercise every part of her body and her skills to improve her weaknesses.

She reached the river that marked the edge of the pride and paused for a drink. She lowered her head and lapped up a good mouthful before setting off, running along the bank. The river narrowed at a certain point and she jumped across into the rouge lands, putting on a bit more speed. Her heart was pounding by the time she got as far as she wanted to and, with a flop, laid down under a small tree that she used as her marker. She'd rest for a bit and then run back the whole way.

Sea panted heavily for about two moments before a voice piped up from the other side of the tree she'd flopped down under. Giving a soft yelp of surprise, she twisted around to stare at whoever it was that was sharing the shade with her. She was just barely in the rouge lands, but literally anyone could be out here! She game face to face with a massive butterfly...no, wait. That wasn't a butterfly, it was a wild dog with a butterfly marking on his face. Blinking in surprise, she focused a bit better on the big picture rather than what was right before her eyes.

"Oh! Really?" she asked, lowering her ears just a bit as she glanced in the direction the other canine had motioned. Sure enough, she could see brambles and thorns and all kinds of debris scattered by the river's edge. Wincing, she looked back at her shade partner with a sympathetic expression. "Thanks for the warning...sounds like you didn't have the same courtesy, though." And looked like it, by the little bits of wood sticking out of his paw.

"Sometimes there's elephants and rhinos that gather on this side to drink," she said in explanation. "They just sort of trample anything they don't want in their way so...it must have been those bushes." She leaned in just a bit, sniffing delicately, before scooting closer. "Do you want some help? I could probably get them a bit easier than you."

Sea waited for the wild dog to give her the go-ahead before moving closer, careful of the thorns he had already plucked from his paws. She settled down and leaned in, squinting at the injured paw with the tiny thorn. "All right...hold still, I think I see it," she said, reaching out with her paw to hold his in place, managing to push his toes back just a bit. There it was, the broken edge of the thorn hiding within the fur between his paw pad and his toes.

She leaned in and tilted her head, grabbing the very end of the thorn with her teeth. Once she had a good grip she pulled back, tugging the thorn out. "There we go!" she said in triumph before spitting the broken thorn aside with the others. "That was really in there. Any more?" she asked, wagging her tail a bit. She certainly wasn't a medic, but it was nice to be able to help someone out when they were in trouble.

Sea waited, ears forward to pick up any flinch or growl of pain, but when none came she sat back, satisfied. "Phew! That was a nasty bramble to step on," she said sympathetically. "If it does still hurt, soaking it in the river might help," she added, nodding to the river she had just forded. "It's nice and cool, helps with the injuries we get in the pride sometimes."

A tortoise shell wasn't a soft thing by any means, and when a strong lion sent one flying, they could really hurt. The cold water was a relief to bumps and bruises, and she had taken advantage of the therapeutic water from time to time. It was why the training and playing grounds were so close - so injuries could be dealt with swiftly.

The emphasis on the word 'pride' made Sea's ears flick back in confusion. She had grown up here, so the term 'pack' wasn't as familiar as 'pride' to her. It took her a few moments before she realized that her new friend might be wary of other animals, and she turned to look over her shoulder as she led him to the river that separated the pride's lands from the rouge lands.

"Yes, the Kwa Kikombe. They accept all animals here, it's very safe," she added, flicking her tail back and forth happily. "Lions, cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, wild dogs, and everything big or small that wishes to explore the lands. Very friendly towards travelers...or wild dogs who get thorns stuck in their paws," she added with a little grin. "We have wonderful medics if you think you need one. But here, try the water first."

She splashed into the swift river, pausing once her legs were halfway submerged. "Ahh...it's so refreshing!"

Together they forded the river and Sea helped her new friend find a place to rest for the evening. She was sure to show the other wild dog just what her pride was about, since organized games like the one they played here were a bit rare. Once she was sure he would be fine, she trotted off to continue training. Her run had been interrupted, but that was no excuse to call it a day! She wanted to be strong for when the time rolled around for recruitment. She wasn't' going to be the last one picked if she had anything to say about it.