Ouroboros Spine xii. it's spiraling down

The woman had her eyes on some plants. Her focus drew his eye, and when Nuak saw them, he recognized them from the storehouse in Ursus; they were more lively in appearance here where they were rooted rather than hanging and dry, like in that cellar. He did not know their name — but they had been kept with the more dangerous collection left behind by Evien.

A part of Nuak was intrigued to see them. He wondered what the woman wanted them for, or if she even knew what they were. If she grabbed the wrong part of the plant it could hurt her. If he intervened he could help, to some extent... But Nuak was more interested in seeing what the plants did, rather than trying to lend a hand.

He wondered if all the women of this place knew herbs like Evien, and spirits like Averna. From the dark recess within which he hid, Nuak continued to watch and bide his time — hoping she would reach out and try something with the nettles and shoots of green, for his own amusement.