Whispers of the Sea

By: Aelia O'Hession

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I am merely borrowing the genius of another for my own sordid needs. Therefore, I own nothing dealing with Pirates of the Caribbean.

Chapter 1: Speaking in Riddles

The last rays of a warm sun settled upon my outcropping of rocks. From this vantage point, the goings on of Port Royale can be observed with little hindrance. This particular spot is one of my absolute favorites of the entire sea.

Rolling onto my back, I soak up the last few rays of the day. The warmth is welcome on my skin which is constantly caressed by water. Idly I flick my tailfin in the clear Caribbean water. Longingly, I watch the last ship of the day pull into Port Royale. By all accounts, I should be using my sweet voice to charm the sailors to their doom, not longing to walk among them.

"I'm a pathetic mermaid," I mutter to myself dejectedly. "Perhaps it was an accident of Fate that I became one."

Comforted a little by that thought, I slip back into the water without a sound. My turquoise tail propels me in no particular direction, merely following the whim of the currents. The open ocean provides great freedom, but sometimes such freedom becomes overwhelmingly lonely. These days, companions are hard to find; curious sailors hunt for my elusive kinfolk.

Swimming aimlessly among the shipwrecks that litter the ocean floor, I sing a wordless melody. Lately, my melodies have been full of sadness and despair. Then a glint catches my eye from the depths. My dive is rewarded with a garnet chocker.

"Tia would like this."

Overcome with a longing to see my only friend, I turn to the direction of Tia's island. The waters leading to Tia's swampy home have always made me feel filthy and slimy. Her waters are nothing like the crisp waters of the open ocean. Keeping my head above the murky water, I carefully make my way down the river towards Tia's hut.

"Tia….Tia Dalma…" my musical voice echoes hauntingly through the swamp.

Tia's figure appears in her doorway. "Who be dere?"

"A friend."

"Dere be no friends who sing with de voice of doom." Tia turns and begins to move back into her hut. Then she turns about, a coy smile creeping across her face. "Unless…unless me friend be pearl-headed and tailed."

I smile at hearing Tia's endearment for me. "The very same." I swim to the dock where Tia now stands. With a little help from Tia, I manage to hoist myself onto the dock so I can sit and talk with her.

"Marisela, so good of you to come. What can I do you for?" Tia settles her self down beside me, arranging her skirts about her knees.

After a pause I say, "…company…"

"De sea be lonely, yes?"

Without meeting Tia's eyes, I nod in agreement. "I've been swimming these waters for over 200 years. Not once have I found a companion. I don't even have the will to sing sailors to their doom anymore." Frustrated, I slap the water with my tailfin. "I long for legs, Tia. I wish to walk amongst the people. I feel as though my nature has left me. Perhaps death is the best answer." Embarrassed at revealing my innermost feelings, I hide my face behind my turquoise tailfin.

Tia moves my tailfin to the side, revealing my face to her. "Pearl-head, you need not be so distressed. Tia knows of what you speak." She places a hand on my shoulder in comfort.

"I had what I wanted once, a long time ago. He had been the one sailor I could not charm to death with my song. Fate granted me mortality for one night, to try to win him and my mortality…" I trailed off, without knowing where to go next.

"And you still be searching. Him have your heart, no?"

I nod again, my sand colored locks dancing with their entangled pearls glistening in the candle light. As I move to settle down more comfortably, I remember the garnet necklace I have wrapped around my wrist.

"I've a token for you, my dear friend," I said while unwinding it from my wrist.

Tia handles it carefully, as though she was admiring an ancient artifact. "Beautiful; it matches me best dress," she added with a laugh. Her long fingers stroked the gem, telling me that she did indeed like my token.

"And I be having something for you as well." Swiftly she climbs the ladder leading to her hut. She returns a few moments later with something clutched in her hand. "I know you've always admired dem."

Tia presented me with an exotic top in deep turquoise, adorned with silver coins and beads. It is a belly-dancing top from Arabia. Every time my travels bring me that way, I look at them longingly. "It's gorgeous. Help me put it on?"

With deft hands, Tia tied the top at the base of my neck and then again at the middle of my back. It left my entire stomach bare, covering only my breasts, but that is of no concern of mine. With the top on, I feel a surge of confidence in myself, almost as if Tia had endowed it with some charm of sorts. "Where ever did you find this?"

"It were a trade," Tia says simply.

She need not say any more. I know what Tia Dalma is about.

"Mari, me pearl-head. Stay here a while with Tia. Dere may be a solution in de murky waters." She mounts the ladder that leads up to her hut. "Time tells all," she calls over her shoulder.

Once again, Tia Dalma is speaking in riddles. Despite how long I have known her, every once and a while it is disconcerting to hear her speak thusly. Nonplussed, I swim around to the back of her hut to the spot that she keeps for me. It is a little copse of trees with a hammock strung between two trees, slightly submerged in the water. On a rock sits a lantern and my favorite book of poetry. Settling in for the night, I allow sleep to prepare me for a few precious days of unconditional companionship.