Chapter 19: Destiny's Child

[ashkevarna]

Sometimes new stories are just old stories badly remembered.

— Susanna Clarke

Ash was lazing in her bed at home, reading one of Jek's books, and occasionally using his verbalizer to translate a rune she hadn't mastered yet. Suddenly she sat bolt upright, staring in disbelief at the page she had just read. The foreign words felt oddly, achingly familiar...

One little spark
Of inspiration
Is at the heart
Of all creation
Right at the start
Of everything that's new

"You follow your own spark." That was what Kuku had said to her all those years ago, when she was struggling with being so different from her peers. She had thought he had been speaking merely from his own experience, but could it have been something more? That spark of creativity, of curiosity, that she had followed all her life... was it mere coincidence to see the same concept expressed again elsewhere? And by a gnome, no less!

She jumped to her feet and ran into the main room. "Kuku! Look what I found..." But her uncle was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was Morril who sat at the table, eating his morning meal. "Oh! Hello, father."

Morril smiled. "Come join me, daughter. I have missed you."

"I'm glad to see you too." Ash moved to fix herself a plate. "Is Kuku still asleep?"

"He went out early on some business, but he should be back ere long." He pushed his lenses closer to his face. "What book do you have there?"

"It's a collection of poetry that I borrowed from a friend. I'm using it to study Gnomish."

"Ah, the language of engineering. I can see the sense in that... although I never knew you to be interested in poetry before."

Ash shrugged. "I'm just using it for practice. Although I did find one poem that I wanted to show to Kuku." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Morril suppress a frown, and mentally kicked herself. "But since you're here... how do you feel about poetry?"

Morril's eyes lit up at that. "Well, since you ask..."

---

Kuku found them hunched over the book together when he returned. It was Morril who spoke first. "Kudarshala, did my daughter show you this marvelous device she has for reading foreign languages?"

"Aye, I saw her use it." Kuku strolled past the table. "A neat trick, but of little use to me, mind."

"Ah, yes, fair point." Morril returned his attention to the book of poems. Ash smiled and left him to it, following Kuku into the kitchen.

"Kuku, do you remember the day that you told me about following my spark?"

He frowned for a moment in thought while rummaging in the larder, then nodded. "Twas a day you seemed particularly in need of a old bird's wisdom, aye?"

"Well, that's true every day! But yes, I was... especially upset that day, and when you said that, it was like... being thrown a lifeline." Ash blushed. "Hardly a day goes by that those words don't come to mind in one form or another."

If Ash had overcome her self-consciousness and looked at his face, she would have seen her uncle rapidly blinking back tears. When he could trust himself to speak, he murmured, "Tink, I had no idea."

"It's true. But here's a funny thing. I found a poem in that book this morning that talks about it too."

"What? That gnomish folderol?"

Ash laughed, then recited the start of the poem, translating it into Common for his benefit. Then she tilted her head. "Is that not where you got the idea?"

"Me! Borrow ideas from another bard, and a gnome at that? Great minds think alike, that's all." Kuku began to put together a truly tremendous sandwich. "The day we had that conversation, I was just putting into words something I've always felt. I admit, I wasn't expecting it to be taken as some sort of gospel."

"What's this about gospel?" Morril joined them in the kitchen, having roused himself from studying Ash's book.

"The spark at the heart of all creation!" Ash replied. "What do you know about it, Dad?"

"Are you talking about the divine spark, the source of all magic?" Morril looked taken aback. "Well, it comes from the gods, of course."

Ash frowned. "So following your spark is like... finding your destiny?"

Kuku scoffed. "Destiny is made, not found, Tink. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool or a tool."

Morril paled a bit. "Some people find comfort in being guided by the gods."

"I said what I said. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to find comfort in eating my lunch."

Ash and Morril stood in awkward silence as Kuku left with his food. Presently, Morril sighed. "Well, that's not the first time he's as much as called me a fool, and I suspect it won't be the last, either."

Ash shook her head. "Father, you are the Raven Queen's agent, her tool on this plane. You've told me so yourself."

"And perhaps I was a fool to make that bargain." Morril reached for his daughter. "But I can never regret it."

Ash joined her father in a rare embrace. "Well, if that wasn't making your own destiny, I don't know what is."

---

Notes

That verse is from the song that played for visitors to Epcot's Journey Into Imagination. Did I remember it from visiting as a child? No! Did I have it in mind when I came up with the metaphor in the first place? Heck no! These connections keep finding me.