The telling
The serpent is the only creature that knows both above and below the earth, and so it is spoken of with knowledge. In the Şahmaran telling the secret rests with her and dies when told.

The Middle World · Birch
A serpent coiled on itself. It lives between root and trunk and knows both worlds.
The serpent is the only creature that knows both above and below the earth, and so it is spoken of with knowledge. In the Şahmaran telling the secret rests with her and dies when told.