Now that I've actually decided what species he is, I made him longer. Eastern rat snakes can grow to be very long. I still find it funny that this change happened by complete accident. You can never predict these kinds of things lol. In any case, here's another mini story to go with the drawing:

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Lissilen pushed aside another pinecone with his coils. It had been difficult to get going this morning due to the autumn air: cool against his scales, but colder on the inside.

A bird called out from above. Lissilen twisted to glance up at it. Many birds had migrated south, but some, like this little singer on the branches of a low, gnarled oak, would stay here all year round. Lissilen briefly considered climbing the tree... but no. He couldn't sense any eggs, and even if there were a few hidden in the branches, they would likely be too small to make for a worthwhile meal. Best to save his strength for when he really needed it.

Leaves and sticks crunched as Lissilen wound his way further down the trail. There was something satisfying about this season, the snake found, even with the cold, and the hints it carried of harsher times to come. Winter was in the air, but for now, autumn still reigned alone. Lissilen flicked his tongue out, adding more scents to the ones he had already picked up during this morning's sunning. Sap and oak. Pine, mushrooms, and soil. A number of different creatures moving about: birds, squirrels, even a rat in one of the burrows he liked to explore. It was a lot to take in. Thankfully, Lissilen had been doing this his whole life.

The snake ducked his head when he came to the next leaf pile on the trail. Despite a lack of predators nearby, Lissilen always felt a bit nervous whenever he was out in the open. Cover was where it was safest, whether that be a heap of foliage like the one he had found now, or under the shade of the large rocks by the lake. Predators weren't his only problem, either. Lissilen had moments, sometimes, when it felt like it was too much just to see out into the wide open sky. It was as if the whole world was staring down at you - and if the world itself could do that, then where on earth was it safe for you to hide?

Silly, Lissilen hissed at himself. He turned his gaze away from the opening in the trees. The snake coiled his tail a bit closer to his body, brush rattling against his scales. There was no reason to worry about things like that. And yet he still couldn't seem to help himself.

The bird had vanished from the oak tree. Lissilen wondered where it was going. The snake glanced forward again, and saw that he had now reached the point where his own path continued into the denser clusters of trees. Lissilen relaxed, his worries from earlier slowly fading away at the sight. Perfect, he thought. Time to see what the new day would bring.

Tongue still flicking, Lissilen slithered out of his makeshift cover of sticks and leaves. The snake disappeared into the forest.