With another day of adventuring under her metaphorical belt, Smoke took a look around herself and considered whether it would be worth retreating to the surface, to a popular node, or to settle into a sheltered corner in order to rest. After much contemplation and a little bit of travel time calculation, she decided that heading to 'safer' spots would be more effort than she had energy for. Besides, she didn't need to overnight out here in order to feel sufficiently recharged to travel further. A couple hours of laying down to sleep should do plenty to reinvigorate her body and mind. With that in mind she set to discovering a quiet corner.

Discovering such a spot was easier said than done, and it took nearly half a candlemark more before such a spot was to be found to suit her liking. Off the main path a short ways she found a cubby of a cave whose entrance diverged at an angle from the tunnel she'd walked down, opening up in the opposite direction of the entrance's diversion. It seemed almost designed by intent to allow a traveller to rest unseen and undisturbed, offering even a projection on which she could rest her lantern which was hidden from casual view from the travel-way. And yet it showed no signs of recent inhabitation. Perhaps because it was so small, twice the length of her own body from nose to tail in width and length. Large enough to walk around and lay down in without getting stuck, but certainly not large enough to attract long term residence.

Satisfied with her find, Smoke set her lantern upon the proffered projection and circled twice around the room before folding her legs with deliberate care and settling upon the stone with care, mindful of her tiny passenger. The pale rat waited for the courser to settle before releasing his tenacious grip upon her mane and sliding down her wither. Perching upon her knee he sat back on his haunches to clean himself thoroughly. Smoke watched in drowsy amusement as he washed his face and paws, turning her head only to nose through the satchel she'd taken to wearing on a harness strapped around her forequarters. As she pulled out rations for herself and for Mischief, her attention was diverted by an unexpected movement.

From the far corner an undefined form crept from the shadows, its motions irregular yet smooth. She watched as it elongated and shrunk, rose and fell, always easing closer. It was small, but not as much as the rat even now twisting about on her knee, barely balanced as he sought to clean his back and hindquarters without falling over. A flicker of concern had the grullo mare moving her head back over her tiny friend, absently biting into the rations in such a way that a corner dislodged and fell with practice aim onto the crook of her knee and almost on top of Mischief. He broke off from his grooming to eagerly grab the offered meal and settled into devouring the rations with much abandon. He liked the travel food much more than the courser he accompanied did, and trusted her to keep him safe.

Knowing this, Smoke continued to watch what resolved itself to be a slime as it approached, absently chewing on her share of the rations. It stopped just beyond reach, and it was obvious that it wasn't even paying attention to her rat. That singular eye was on her, watching expectantly. She flicked an ear sideways, swallowed her meal, then fished out a broken bit of rations she hadn't bothered with yet. She'd intended to let Mischief rummage through the satchel for whatever treats he could find at the end of this trip, including broken bits of food like this one. But offering actual food instead of risking the rat seemed a worth sacrifice of his later enjoyment.

With this in mind she flicked the fragment of food at the slime. That eye followed the food as it arced, bounced, and came to rest a few inches shy of the strange creature. Only then did it move, sliding forward to engulf the bit of rations. Smoke watched in bewildered fascination as that fragment rose within the slime to hang, suspended, near its core. As she watched, it began to degrade. So entranced was she that the sudden loss of weight on her knee was a source of alarm, enflamed when her gaze dropped to watch Mischief walk across the stone toward the slime. The creatures regarded each other in silence, the only movement the twitching of nose and whiskers and the slow shrinking of the rations within the slime.

Curiosity satisfied, the rat turned and bounded back to Smoke, clamboring up her harness strap and diving into her satchel before she could think to voice a protest. She could feel him rustling around in there for several moments before settling in, a quick check showing him curled up on top of the package of bandaging she'd packed. Evidently he deemed that the most comfortable place to sleep. A light touch on her belly startled Smoke, her hind hooves jerking involuntarily against the stone before she realized it was the slime. It was settling against her side, that single eye peering up at her before closing.

I guess we have a new friend. She shook her head, bemused. As a precaution she tightened the ties on the satchel. The slime would have to prove itself trustworthy for longer than a night before she'd allow it near Mischief unsupervised. So reassured, she laid down her head and shut her eyes. Just a short sleep, and then they'd see.