Weary hooves plodded to a stop in the soft leaf litter underfoot. Above them, the Courser's white stockings were stained with all manner of grime.

A sigh rocked Polaris' body. It had been a tough week in the caverns. He'd run into several dead ends, each diversion taking time he didn't have. He'd found Cairn's marker two days ago, a mile or so inland from the dungeon entrance northwest of here, and that had already been old when he'd seen it.

He was running on fumes; it was unlike him to take so few breaks in between long journeys through the caverns, but he and Cairn had devised a system of communication for when they were separated. Cairn's marker was concerning - the pattern in the stones read 'urgent news'. He was desperate to catch up to the grullo Courser and make sure his friend was okay.

And now the path was blocked, which was frustrating, but even more so was the fact that it had been clear a few days ago. He knew the particular cavern behind this enormous boulder contained a bathing pool, and he most certainly knew he was in need of a bath.

He backed up a few paces. The path had narrowed towards the entrance to the next cavern, and he wasn't eager to add to the litany of scratches and streaks of dirt on his coat by trying to turn through the thorns on either side of him.

His field of view expanded, and his eyes narrowed as he saw that the boulder in front of him had a very obvious spiral pattern. His gaze dropped to the ground and he took in the layer of shiny, sticky mucous that gleamed in the green mosslight. And directly in front of him, just feet from where his hooves had just been, was an enormous fleshy body, with skin the texture of leather.

Polaris' ears flicked back and forth anxiously as his head rose again. He peered off to the right, where the light barely reached the edge of the shell. Two beady eyes stared back at him, their stalks pulsing. A snail!

He stuck his head out cautiously to sniff at the snail's body. It had an earthy scent, but no more so than the rest of the cavern. It didn't look at all inclined to move, but it also didn't look particularly dangerous. Polaris lay down, sighing in relief at his body met the soft ferns under him. As good a time as any for a break, he thought to himself.