Snake

Snake Mother shared many things (hunting, hiding, making a home); Snake listened, enrapt, and took it all in. It sensed eyes, felt movements, and knew dangers lurked all around, but Snake Mother was there to protect it until she could not. "Love and comfort yourself," she hissed, soft scales and tongue whispers, "and do not take their judgments into yourself. You are mine and the All's besides. Calm and coil yourself and listen." Snake did as it was told and quieted; soon, it felt sleepy and slow, feeling safe in itself. "The heart of the world beats also for you," Snake Mother hissed, and it was the truest thing Snake had heard yet.