Hutch was nearly killed. Again. So, one could say that not much was new in the life of this reckless rabbit. 

This time his brush with death took place in the early morning, dew still wet upon leaves, and the rabbit had not been paying attention to the branches above as he hopped along the forest floor, completely out in the open.

A snake, thick and ridiculously large with golden scales tougher than plates of steel, must've been watching with amusement as a foolish meal hopped directly into its line of sight. The reptile dropped from a branch, instantly pinning the small rabbit beneath its hefty weight before it immediately began coiling, muscles wrapping tighter and tighter until Hutch's squeaks of alarm were wheezed through compressed lungs.

Uh-oh. I might be in big, big trouble here!

But it wasn't his fault! No, how could it possibly be? How on the good, green earth was he supposed to keep focus on anything when he'd slept so awfully the night before, his rest disturbed by nightmares of something large and dangerous following him like a shadow, haunting his every hop and jump through the forest and scenting anything he touched? It had been awful, scary, and just... not pleasant.

Maybe he should've been more worried about the large and dangerous creature attempting with great effort to crush him alive, but instead, he was cursing his luck. How unfortunate it was that after so many near-misses or direct escapes from threats over the course of his life, a simple case of poor sleep would be his downfall. 

If only I could've befriended the snake... we could have been such good friends, Hutch thought, his body's struggling ceasing as his eyesight dimmed. The world was going dark, the persistent need to keep going onward falling silent. Everything felt almost peaceful as he began to slip away.

"Oh, another Shifter!".

Hutch was jolted from his death, the voice bombarding his head unbearably loud and high pitched, outward hisses violating his ears at the same time. The coiling pressure around him instantly slackened, no longer feeling like worms were wriggling against his fur or crushing his bones and organs into a paste. 

"Sorry about that, friend, let me just...". 

To say that the rabbit was stunned when the snake let him go, not even attempting to have a cheeky little munch when they came face to face, would have been an understatement. Even as the voice in his head continued to ramble on and on, Hutch sat on his rump, absolutely stupefied, mouth gaping a little. 

"So, you forgive me, yes? You just looked so round and juicy, so delicious, that I didn't even stop to do my usual check if my prey is a Shifter or not! I know, I know- terribly reckless of me, but look on the bright side: at least your eyes didn't pop out yet or anything!".

Hutch gasped a breath, realisation slapping him straight in the face in the form of a twitching snake's tail. 

"YOU CAN HEAR ME?!" He screamed, voice coming out as little squeaks and the excited grinding of teeth. Oh boy, was he was ecstatic. How awfully long it had been since he'd actually spoken to something and heard a voice answer back, and now that it was finally happening, he was practically bouncing with joy. 

"Please, little snack, no shouting or thumping! My ears are very sensitive this close to the ground. I much prefer my place among the trees. Ah, speaking of which, if we are finished here I would very much like to get back to my branch...".

"Oh, sorry! Yes, you can go home to your lovely looking branch, but can I stay here for a little while? I've never met someone who can speak before!". 

The snake seemed to straighten, lifting its head and tongue flicking out in a hypnotic rhythm. Maybe it liked him!

"Well, of course!" it shrilled in answer, curling round and round until it was in a tight little ball. "I, too, have not met another of our kind in quite some time. So long, in fact, I can barely remember what it is like to be in our other form", the creature sighed longingly before visibly shaking its head. 

"No matter!" it said cheerfully, "I shall keep you company down here, as your poor little feet are much too unsuited to be climbing a tree. And we do not wish to draw predators with yelling. I hope you do not mind if I stay curled up like this, though. It is rather cold on the ground this morning, and I would like to conserve as much heat as possible". 

Hutch merely nodded his head. How long he had yearned for this simple connection with another living creature, just the simple act of conversing, but now that the moment had come... he had nothing to say, yet so much to ask, that he was not sure where to start. 

"You're awfully quiet, little snack. Do you wish for me to leave you alone? I understand we got off on the wrong scale, and that serpents are not exactly the most welcoming of creatures. I blame the wizards and their fear mongering -". 

"No! Please, don't go!" he yelled desperately, not quite sure now that he thought about it how exactly their voices reached one another when outwardly, they spoke only in hisses or squeaks. Yet another question to add to his growing pile.

"Alright then, as you wish. Tell me your name, little mammal. I am Keshkanari, of the Naga Tribe. But you are free to call me Kesh or Kanari, if that is easier. My children often struggled saying the name of our tribe, so altering it is of no offence to me".

Children? Oh, they must be a Mama!

"Hello, Miss Kesh! I'm Hutch. Where are your children, are they snakes too, can I meet them? I'd like to make friends with them! Unless they want to eat me, then maybe I'll just say a quick hello and leave. Or I could bring berries! We can share. Do you like berries, Miss Kesh? There's some close to here, I think. My favourites are the purple ones, but the red and green ones are yummy too, if they haven't gone mushy! You said I looked delicious, does that mean I'd be yummy too? I've never eaten something like me before, usually only bushes-". 

It seemed that Hutch had gotten over his initial muteness. 

***

While Miss Kesh seemed to have some kind of migraine plaguing her head, Hutch was quite literally vibrating in place with joy. And hyperactivity. 

He'd gained so much knowledge in the last two hours! He'd learned how the talking-stuff worked, and that his new friend had over eighty children. Eighty! Hutch had been absolutely shaken by that number, wondering just how that was possible. That seemed like far too many snakes coming from one other snake. But his new friend had been more than happy to talk about her children, who she said were off with 'Humans' or in 'Education', as well as divulge information about polyandrous mating. She seemed content to have some company for a while, so the two got on very well. 

"But, Miss Kesh, don't the Papa's get angry if you have babies with lots of other Papa's? My Papa got mad at Mama for meeting another rabbit". 

While the serpent's facial features could not exactly portray emotion, the little rabbit could feel that she was trying to comfort him. He chose to accept it was something similar to hearing each other's voices within their heads- which she said was due to their 'Soul', whatever that was- and that it happened with emotions too. Basically, sharing what they were thinking and feeling. Which, he thought was pretty damn cool. 

"I'm sorry about that, little snack. Sometimes, our inner natures are not so pleasant to live with. But no, that isn't how it works for snakes. I choose to live as my animal for the majority of the year, so I listen to those wild instincts. During mating seasons, I will mate with many, many snakes, and make lots of eggs. I wish to bring as much life and hope to our dwindling species by ensuring my clutches are prosperous. The male snakes do not tend to get angry often, which I am grateful for. What about you, Hutch? Have you any offspring? How old are you?". 

He managed to understand most of her words, but she did tend to speak a little oddly in his eyes. Still, after trying to understand her species' way of mating, Hutch was left a little clueless. How old was he? How long had he been on his own? It had felt almost like forever, and if not for the vague memories of his family, he might've assumed he'd never had one. 

"I can remember spending at least twenty-three winters in this forest. They were very tough at first; I ate so many bad things and got sick! But I think I've lived a few more in the grasslands hidden in the forest. It sure is big in here, I can't even remember how to get out! But no. No babies. I tried to make some, once, with another rabbit I saw when I was young. It didn't want to, I think, so I left it alone. And then, no one has talked to me in here, so I can't tell if they want to or not...". 

Keshkanari nodded in sympathy. She indeed knew that mating was a particularly difficult task within the forest, since many of the animals were wild. Most years, she went without producing clutches since her kind were not often spotted outside of villages and tribes since the acceptance of Shifter's as a civilised species. Still, she preferred living as an animal, given the simplicity of life as a creature with no expectations placed upon them. What more could a mature, older lady want? 

"In all of my years here, I have not seen another rabbit-shifter. Perhaps you are the only one here, sweet little Hutch, and that is why you have had such poor luck with mating. Would you like to accompany me to a shifter town, shortly before this year's winter when usually I return to my human form for the festivities? We could try and find you someone to spend a heat with, possibly even a mate to settle down with and make other little rabbits". 

Hutch frowned, more than slightly perplexed. "Miss Kesh, you've said it a lot today and I thought it was another one of your fancy, weird words, but, what is a shifter? Or a Human? And this...'heat' you speak of? Can we eat it?". 

Oh, Hutch. There was so much the poor little thing was about to learn about himself and the world at large, far beyond the forest and all he knew within. And not all of it would be pleasant.