After that was done, and they broke to get a late lunch, they came back to start learning the Weavespinner spells. These were powerful spells, ones so strong that only a Weavespinner could use them. Spells like Teleportation, a spell that would instantly kill a victim by disrupting his body's processes and leave no trace of its use, a spell that could interfere with gravity itself in a small area, either increasing it or lessening it, even changes its direction of pull for a short time. There was a spell that allowed a Sorcerer to take complete control of someone's mind, turning him into a puppet, and a spell used against Sorcerers that would strip them of their powers for as long as the caster kept the spell active. Sorcerers could block one another from using the power, but that required strength and a great deal of effort. The spell made that a little easier, but it still depended on the strength of the caster and the strength of the victim. Jenna could use it to block almost anyone in the Tower except Tarrin, Jasana, and perhaps Keritanima, Dolanna, and Ianelle. Those three weren't sui'kun, but they were both very powerful and very experienced, and could possibly break the spell. There were a great many other spells, fighting spells, useful spells, even some trivial spells, showing that the Ancients still placed a greater value on Sorcery as a useful tool or means of entertainment than a weapon of war.

As the sun began to set, they moved on to the most powerful of all the spells he'd learned, the spells of High Sorcery. These were the most powerful of all, and a vast majority of them were battle spells. The Ancients did study magic as a weapon of war, but they seemed to concentrate on using it thus only at its highest level of ability. This too seemed to make sense to him, since the Sha'Kar had dominated the culture of the Ancients, and their aversion to fighting meant that if they had to do it, they were going to do it fast and be sure about the results. High Sorcery was the most efficient and fastest means to win such a fight, and as such it was developed mainly with spells used in combat. There were non-fighting spells in Tarrin's memory that relied on High Sorcery, but the majority of them were battle magic. The Sunbolt, a spell Tarrin had learned very early on, was just one example of the kind of raw, unmitigated power that High Sorcery could unleash, and other spells of the same ilk had the same kind of destructive ability. There were spells for making rock explode, spells for turning air into a lethal poison, spells to change blood into a poison. There was a spell that caused a massive earthquake in a confined area, a spell that caused a deluge of razor-sharp shards of ice to rain from the sky. One spell even called down a meteor and made it strike where the Sorcerer indicated. Something falling from the sky had such speed and energy built up in it that when it hit the ground, it would explode with the power of thousands and thousands of kegs of Wikuni gunpowder, absolutely annihilating everything around where it impacted. Tarrin's memory told him that that particular spell had only been used in battle once, and it was used to destroy a city in the southern kingdom of Stygia, the immediate neighbor of Sharadar. The katzh-dashi had been so horrified by its effects and what they'd done that the spell was outlawed and the war between Sharadar and Stygia was immediately ended. It was the only war Sharadar had ever lost in its entire history, and they lost it because they surrendered to the Stygians in apology and repentence for what they'd done. For their own honor and pride, the Stygians accepted that apology, and it led to the strong alliance that the two nations now enjoyed.

It was a sobering thought, that one, one that Jenna brought up. The sui'kun, single, individual beings, could call forth the power to destroy entire cities. She remarked that perhaps that was too much power for a mortal to hold. Tarrin didn't really engage her in the philosophy of that debate, for the memory of what he'd done at Torrian was still fresh and raw in him. He knew how it felt to destroy an entire city, and he fully understood the horror of the katzh-dashi after doing it themselves. He did not blame them in the slightest for outlawing the spell, but he realized that it was a very rash act. Any spell, even that one, could be altered in its power to be made less potent. That was a core rule of Sorcery, any spell could be made as strong or as weak as the Sorcerer desired, up to the limits of the Sorcerer himself. They could have simply decided to call down a smaller meteor, one that devastated a much smaller area. That would be very handy in eliminating an army.

After they were done, both of them were quiet and reflective. Now Tarrin understood why those who had caused the Breaking were so afraid of the katzh-dashi. They really were that powerful. Had they really wanted to, they could have conquered the entire world. But that was then. The katzh-dashi of today weren't nearly as powerful or as numerous, and though they could help an army conquer a much larger force, the effort of wielding magic on that scale would make them only useful for short periods. Even Tarrin himself, one of the most powerful, couldn't use that kind of magic in a sustained manner any longer than a few minutes at the most. The most powerful of all spells were vast in size and intricate in construction, meaning that they took a long time to weave, and that would wear him out by the time he started the second, or possibly the third, depending on how angry he was. They were spells more suited for a Circle, where the effort to weave them was distributed among the members of the Circle.

But that too was a moot point. The katzh-dashi were an order of peace, and they would only use that power in defense of itself or for the protection of those placed under their care. They would never use it to conquer or rule, and with Jenna as the Keeper, he was sure that that would never change.

It was well past dark when they finally finished, not far from midnight. They were both tired, but there was an excited light in Jenna's eyes. She was thrilled at having learned so much about Sorcery in such a short time, and he couldn't really blame her. If he'd been in her shoes, he'd be very excited about it too. Jenna's short life was totally devoted to Sorcery now and all it entailed. The Tower was her new home, and the katzh-dashi were like her children. She was unswervingly devout to the Goddess, just as he was. Tarrin couldn't see how anyone who'd been touched by her couldn't be devout.

They went down to the kitchens for a late dinner, since they'd both only had that one meal and were both ravenous. As always, the kitchens were busy, but now the business was concentrating on cleaning up and preparing for tomorrow's cooking than cooking for today. Pots and pans were scrupulously cleaned, fireplaces swept of ash, tables and countertops wiped down, kettles scrubbed. But the instant the Keeper appeared, they fell over themselves offering her anything she wished. When she asked for a bowl of beef and vegetable stew, one of her favorites, a kettle was pulled off the peg, ingredients were retrieved, and the head cook, a large fellow named Golin, assured her that it would be ready very soon. He pushed breads and pastries at her, meat pies and a large platter of fruits and vegetables, urging her to eat a little before her meal was prepared. She took a little bread and a small bowl of grapes, Tarrin filched a joint of beef that had been roasting for most of the day, and they retired to the main dining hall, where the Novices were seated and dined three times a day. It was empty now, the long benches and tables cleaned and waiting for breakfast.

"This place brings back memories," Tarrin mused as they sat down at the table nearest the doorway to the kitchens.

"You know, I never had to sit in here," Jenna chuckled. "Sometimes I come in here and eat, just to see what it's like."