"Pest control!" Resounded the powerful voice of Thylla, the black tsabhua with a large tan underbelly. She carried an oversized net over her shoulder, a byproduct of the fishing industry that she'd snagged from next to some old shed or country store.

"Free huldah cleaning!" Hivoo called out, cupping her hands around her maw to try to project the sound of her voice further across the flat, muddy bay. She was Tylla's helper who, like her, originated from the colony of Tsidal.

"These uniforms are way too uncomfortable," grumbled Skritch, a stranger to both of them. The two Tsidal colonists had been called to assist with the colony he was a Captain over, the Sea-Cucumbers. Despite this, Thylla had managed to gain control almost immediately, and he'd turned into a belligerent follower for them.

Hivoo pulled gently on the fabric of her own collared jacket, which felt all the stuffier in the warm, humid environment. "I thought they were kind of… What's the word? Iconic," she giggled gently. Thylla had convinced the two that it was company policy for pest control to wear matching jackets. On the other hand, Skritch had felt that they were going much too far for their covert mission.

"It's not pretending," Hivoo had waved off, "We really are there to capture the huldah… We just might not have an license to do it." She gave the set of cages that she was holding a wave, scaring one of the small huldah inside into scurrying to the other end.

Tenné Quai was a quaint little village in Mireh, sitting against the waters on the northern coast. The architecture primarily consisted of large, red barn-styled buildings, either on the flat shoreline above the flood lines or on stilts in the bay. Areas of the piers smelled of rotten fish, which made Skritch occasionally–and dramatically–pinch his nose, but the natives didn't seem to notice the scent. The small village eyed the intruders warily, but some of the more eager shipmen called over the small trio to check their grain storage.

"Huldah, eh?" Responded a deep blue belemoid as she hastily scrounged down the fish in her mouth. "I mean, uh, you can have a look!" She stood up, her golden earring bouncing in her small, round ears. "Of course, and if we do see any–" Thylla referred ominously to their bags of traps and cages. "We'll take care of the little pests for you!" Hivoo nodded empathetically, while Skritch glared at the figure, distrustful of anyone who could eat seafood from this town.

Nevertheless, if Lilith noticed the white tsabhua runt mean-eyeing her, she didn't point it out–merely leading the two back to a barnyard that made them wish the rotting fish smell was back. A few nukap grazed in a muddy pit, wherein Hivoo caught a flash of a tiny huldah skittering away. "They're here," she whispered. Lilith opened the barn doors wide, flooding light onto Thylla and Skritch and revealing a hay-filled interior. An old, scrawny tan hojenst napped in the corner, snoozing noisily.

"I've seen a few huldah around here, come to think of it," Lilith tapped her chin as she thought. One of the small rodents, a bright white color reminiscent of Skritch's fur, climbed up her body and sat on her forehead. She didn't seem to notice this, however. "I haven't seen 'em lately, but have at it," she agreed. Hivoo stared cross-eyed at the huldah on her blue forehead, desperate to catch it but knowing that Thylla would think lowly of the risk of accidentally trampling a native.

"Are you kidding?" Skritch threw out his arms, unable to take it. "There's one right there on your head–Give me that!" He swiped out a a paw, ensnaring the huldah between his claws like a rodent prison. Lilith blinked, totally surprised. The huldah immediately bit into Skritch's hand–hard, leading to him screaming and dropping it. It ran over Hivoo's front paws before Thylla skillfully pounced on it, shoving it into one of the small cages before it could do any more damage.

"Uh, with that said–" Lilith blushed as though something deeply embarrassing had happened. "I'll leave you three to it, then!" She hurriedly slipped out the door, shutting it fast behind her. "What's her big deal?" Skritch sighed, rolling his deep gold eyes. "Mirehi are strange," Hivoo smiled gently and shrugged. Thylla stared deeply at something in the corner–a family of three small brown huldah. "This place is filthy infested," she shook her head disparagingly, "We'll have a feast on rats!"