Murky waters rolled lazily through tight clusters of deep tree roots, the ends of which were deceptively far under the surface. The noon day sun was in the sky overhead, but you'd never know it. The light hardly found a way to dapple the trees, and a coolness accompanied the damp region, further emphasizing the lack of sun. Despite all of this, the waters and even the clusters of land that poked up from the murky depths were full of life- if one knew where to look. Fortunately for the three colonists venturing into the area, they were no strangers to the swamps of L'Hatzif.

Merra actually breathed a happy sigh as she swam gently through the waters. This region had long been her home, and it felt nice to be back. Lairi followed behind her aunt, not quite as pleased to be back in the damp region, but comfortable nonetheless. Devo brought up the rear of the group, his long tail trailing behind him as he more floated atop the waters than swam. The three colonists were back in L'Hatzif today on a mission. They were on the hunt for nukaps.

"Just a bit further down river, and then we should come close to the mud wallows." Merra offered over her shoulder, being careful to keep her voice low. Lairi nodded, though her aunt couldn't see, and passed the message on to Devo. This hunting trip there seemed to be far fewer arguments. Perhaps it was the familiar territory that helped the group to work together, or perhaps this being the third excursion out, they were finally starting to find their groove together.

Lairi happily swam behind her aunt, knowing that the muck in the water would help obscure their scents from the nukaps, and moving with the current made the journey to the wallows a surprisingly pleasant one. If he had thought it'd be safe to speak up without potentially giving away their position early, Devo would've commented on how easy it was to locate the nukaps themselves by smell. A congregation of them was pungent, and the beginning of that scent was just starting to hit his nostrils.

Merra continued moving through the water, actively swimming towards where she knew the nukaps to sleep. They radiated body heat and enjoyed the coolness of the swampy region, in general, but the mud wallows were especially favored by the wild sounders. The stench of the nukaps was also making its way into Merra's nostrils as the trio drew near. She held a tail up out of the water to signal to her compatriots to slow. Lairi held her tail up in the same manner and paddled to a stop behind Merra. Devo put in some active work to swim to a stop for the first time in the entire trip. Coming from the ocean and drifting in amongst the mangroves had been such a pleasant journey, but now was time for work.

Before the trio lay the mud wallows. They were thick, dark, and cool, and indeed amongst them rested several wild nukaps. Some were nearly fully submerged in the mud, just their eyes and backs visible. They seemed almost like lurking gators rather than prey animals. Others rolled and seemed playful among the mud, not allowing themselves to fully sink in. Even more nukaps could be spotted beyond the wallows, shuffling amongst the greenery, surely seeking snacks, or napping peacefully beneath the shady trees.

Lairi very carefully paddled to the side of Merra, and gestured towards a cluster of them deep in the mud. She motioned for Devo to swim up beside them as well so the three could strategize before leaping into action. Lairi whispered "we should go for the ones in the mud. It'll take them the longest to free themselves from that level of muck." Devo nodded and whispered back "We've been conserving our energy by traveling with the current. We should be able to act powerfully and swiftly." Merra nodded, pleased that the younger two were having strategic thoughts. "It's a good plan. We swim forward together and try to catch that cluster nearest us that has the neck deep nukaps. We still have the element of surprise on our side." The plan was set, and the trio sped forwards to claim their prizes.