Jenna paused to look at the fountain. "It's lovely," she whispered.
" That, Jenna, is the Goddess' icon. You're as good as looking at her right now." He nodded to the figure in the cloak. "And that, my sister, is Spyder."
The figure reached up and pulled down the hood, and the haunting features of Spyder were revealed. She looked as he remembered, vaguely similar to Allia with the high cheeks and sharp chin, the scar on her left cheek, those eyes that reflected eternity within them. She stepped forward, then to his surprise, she reached out and took Jenna's hands in her long-fingered ones and smiled at her. "So it begins again," she said in that strange voice of hers, each word pronounced with utter perfection before moving on to the next.
"Uh, hello," Jenna said with a nervous bow.
"Such acts, they are not necessary," she smiled. "I called you here to meet you, Jenna Kael. You and I, we are going to be seeing much of one another in the coming days."
"What are you talking about?" Tarrin asked curiously.
She looked at him, slightly disapproving. "You of all, you should understand the great responsibility that comes with the power you possess. Mother has sent me here to train both of you, so what happened at Torrian does not happen again."
"T-Train us?" Tarrin asked, completely overwhelmed.
"You have no finesse, no touch," she complained, looking at him. "You are a hammer used to break an eggshell. I thought you would learn much more by now, given how easily you hear the whispers of the Weave." Tarrin flushed guiltily and lowered his eyes. "My arts are unknown to the katzh-dashi," she said in a tone that made it clear that she considered them to be little more than swaddling babes. "They cannot help you learn what you need to learn. And since we serve the same mistress, it is of no business among the other gods if I grant to you my experience and learning." She looked at both of them in turn, seeing that they were both too surprised to say anything to her. That made her smile, a smile that made her seem much less intimidating. "I am not some musty old god standing before you," she teased. "I am a person, just as you. You may think me unique, but are we not all unique in our own way?"
"You're not exactly your normal person," Tarrin accused.
"Are you?" she asked pointedly. "Face it, younglings. People such as we cannot find understanding among others that lack our gifts. You will find yourselves speaking more and more to one another, if only because the other can understand you and your art. The others, they will not understand. At least not now. In time, with the return of the old powers, they will. But for now, they will not."
"That's all you wanted to say to us?"
"Is it not important?" she asked.
"Well, yes, but it could have waited," he accused. "I just got back. I haven't even seen some of my family yet."
"That is the other reason we are here," she said. She motioned towards the dome. "This place is holy, as you know. This is where you will use the Book of Ages. Out of respect for our mother, you should not reveal this place."
"I didn't plan on it," he replied. "The only ones I was going to have come here to help were Kerri, Allia, Miranda, and Dar. They've all been here already, and they've kept it a secret."
"You choose well," Spyder nodded. "But for now, they cannot know about me, or what we do. You must keep me as secret from them as you kept this courtyard from others."
"That seems a bit harsh," he complained.
"Think about it. If the Wikuni knew, she would intrude herself upon your training. Unable to comprehend what I teach, it would make her cause harm to herself. You understand her. She cannot abide being unable to do something. And should you tell Allia, she would tell the Wikuni. Allia keeps nothing from either of you. It is not in her nature."
Tarrin couldn't argue with that. He nodded in agreement. "They would do those things," he admitted. "Alright, we'll keep it secret. I don't like it, but we'll do it. I feel like I'm betraying my sisters' trust."
"Part of the reason I called you here now is because you have not seen your sisters yet. You will be very hard to separate from them after you reunite, and being called away would have arisen suspicion in them. But do not fear. Hiding this from them must only last until we are done. When I am finished teaching you, you are free to tell them about it."
"That's something, at least," Tarrin grunted. "When do you want to meet for the first lesson? I'm sure you didn't intend to start now."
"I will call you," she smiled. "As I called you here. But our lessons will not take place here. I suspect that this courtyard will become crowded very soon."
"How do you do that?" he demanded.
"It is but one of the many things I will teach you," she assured him. "When I am through with you, you will be proper Sorcerers. I would not be embarassed to admit that you belong to my order."
"I can't believe this is happening," Jenna finally said. "I'm going to be taught magic by an ancient!"
"It is impolite to remark about a lady's age," Spyder told her with a faint smile.
Jenna blushed furiously. "I didn't mean-I meant-It's what we call-"
"Calmly, child," Spyder actually laughed. "I understand that that is how the modern katzh-dashi refers to those of my time." She put a hand on Jenna's shoulder. "For too long, alone have I been entrusted with the secrets of our order, the memory of what we were. Now, it is time for those secrets to be returned to the world. And it is through you, my sister, that those secrets will become a part of the world once again. It is a great responsibility I set before you, child. Do you feel you are ready for this burden?"
" Me? You mean it's my job to teach the others about Weavespinners?"
"You," she smiled. "Tarrin's tasks will not allow him to be the teacher that our less enlightened brethren require. It will be you, my sister, who will be the new guiding light to return our order to what it once was. It will be a difficult task, one that will consume much of your life. But it is a task suited for you. Will you accept it?"
Jenna stared up at Spyder in absolute awe. "Uh, yes, I guess," she finally said. "I'll do whatever the Goddess needs me to do."
"Then that is all you ever need to do," Spyder said with a gentle smile, patting her shoulder fondly. "When I have taught you what you need to know, I will leave, and it will fall upon you to teach our poorer brothers and sisters about the glory of the Goddess and the true power of the Weave."
"Why not you?" Tarrin asked curiously.
"I have my own tasks, as do you," she said dismissively. "It is not my burden. It would not be a burden I would be suited to accept. Too old, I am, to suffer the trials of training the inept. Our sister here has much more patience and a more gentle demeanor than either of us, Tarrin. For the task ahead, she is the most suited." She smiled at Jenna. "I think that the order will be placed in good hands, my sister," she said reassuringly.
Jenna glowed under the compliment.
"And too long have I kept you from family and friends, Tarrin," she announced. "Our business for tonight is concluded. Listen for me, and when I call, come to me. And then you will learn the true extensions of the power of Sorcery, and you will become true sui'kun. I will be waiting until next we meet."
She took a step back, lifted the cowl of her cloak over her head, and then she simply disappeared.
Tarrin blinked as the traces of her scent evaporated like smoke. Where did she go? He'd felt nothing, no weaving, no power, absolutely nothing that would explain her obviously magical, dramatic exit. How in the furies did she do that?