AN: These were made as a gift to my younger sibling, who is in love with dolphins. My uncle and grandmother are both dying of liver cancer at the moment, and my da is in California for the second time this month, and not due back for two weeks, so the little one needed something to cheer him up. Since he somehow got hooked on 'Pirates' (I don't know how... honestly... *looks innocent*), I figured this might help with that. And it did. And he wanted to know what you guys thought (I think it was his idea of trying to help his feedback-obsessed sister cope, too… silly little one). Anyway, hope you enjoy.
Dolphin Tales
For Andy, one of the best little brothers out there. Things will look up eventually, little one. En ná anoirë estel.
*****
"Look!"
"Where?" The dark-haired child jumped, attempting to get a clear view over the side.
The gray-haired sailor laughed and picked him up, setting the child on his shoulder and pointing again. "Over there. See them?"
The child squinted against the glare of sunlight on water and looked where his father was pointing. Sleek gray fins broke the surface, at least six, possibly more. "Sharks?" Why would it be important to see sharks?
"No, lad. Dolphins."
"Dolphins?"
"Sailor's friends, they are. Good luck. They'll play in the wake o' the bigger ships. Folks say they've pulled men near t' shore after wrecks. Don' rightly know if it's true, but they're pretty things all the same, not nasty if you're in the water with 'em. Just gotta watch that they don' break the nets." The child was again lowered to the deck of the small fishing sloop.
"Dolphins follow the big ships?"
"They do." The gray-haired man nodded and stretched, rubbing his lower back.
"I'm going to be captain of a big ship someday."
The gray-haired man laughed and patted his son on the head as he bent back to his work. "Course you will be, Jack. Course you will be."
*****
It was the clicking that woke him, a repetitive, ear-splitting noise that, unfortunately, brought with it the blinding pain of the worst hangover he had ever known.
"Shut up!"
Whatever was clicking didn't seem inclined to heed the order, and shouting only made the pain worse.
Jack sat up gingerly, acutely aware of the sunburn that had developed while he slept. Cursing quietly, he staggered slowly to his feet and in the direction from whence the infernal noise came.
"Really, is it too much to ask that a deserted island where you've been left t' die be quiet..." The pirate trailed off as he finally saw the source of the noise.
The sheen of water that usually coated the gray skin was almost gone, a coating of harsh sand taking its place. One dark eye blinked rapidly at him, trails of moisture running down from it to the long snout.
Did dolphins cry?
"You're not supposed to be here, mate." Jack blinked a few times before moving hesitantly toward the beached animal.
The stranded creature only clicked again, the sounds seeming almost mournful to the pirate.
"Then again, I'm not s'posed to be here, either."
Again there came a series of clicks, and a puff of air through the blowhole that sent a few particles of sand flying.
"You're not looking so good." The large animal really didn't look very good… the large, meaty animal… he didn't know how long the rumrunners waited before returning to this particular cache…
Whistling shrilly, the dolphin began thrashing violently, but the struggles soon grew weak and stopped.
"Don't worry, mate. It's bad luck t' eat good luck, anyway."
The whistle and series of clicks that followed was softer, and Jack could almost swear that the one eye he could see was pleading with him.
"What d'you want from me? You got yourself up here. Get yourself down. You'll probably break my legs with your thrashin' if I try t' help you."
More clicks and a soft whistle.
A splash out to sea drew the pirate's attention. Four, five, maybe more, sleek gray fins danced between the waves. Again a giant body flung itself from the water, falling back in a fountain of spray.
Jack turned back to his dolphin as it clicked again.
"That your family? Don't you go callin' them up here to die with you."
The creature was still and silent, only the rasping pulse of its blowhole telling Jack that it was still alive.
"Why'd you come up here, anyway? S'posed to be out there, bein' good luck."
Still no response.
Jack slowly moved towards the sea, staying a good four feet away from the beached animal. Bending down to the water, he used his hand to fling some of the life-giving substance over the dolphin.
A short series of clicks was the only reward he received.
"I really don' want to watch you die, mate. Be too much like a premonition. Can't you even try t' get yourself free?"
The dolphin twisted half-heartedly before settling down again, the waves lapping up to its fins but no further.
"If I help you, promise not t' break any bones o' mine?"
No response.
Jack studied the animal dubiously before moving forward slowly and stretching his arm out to lightly brush his fingers against the gray hide.
The only reaction from the animal was a brief snort of air through its blowhole.
Feeling a bit more secure, the pirate placed his entire hand on the slippery flesh.
Still no reaction.
Taking a deep breath, he lunged forward quickly, putting all his weight into shoving the beached creature further out into the waves.
That did get a reaction, the dolphin adding its own thrashing to the force that Jack applied. Eager to keep all his bones intact, the pirate lunged out of the way, ending up with a mouthful of salt water mixed with sand.
Lurching back to his feet in water that had suddenly become knee-deep, the pirate turned just in time to watch a flick of a powerful gray tail send his temporary partner in marooning back to where it belonged.
"Tha's right, get out o' here! Stupid fish… go be that good luck you're supposed to be and bring someone back!" Jack turned back to shore, only to spin around again, nearly falling face-first into the water. "And make sure they've got a workin' ship!"
Jack waited a minute more, staring out to sea, the waves pulling gently at him, before turning around. For the second time in two days he staggered out onto the beach, dripping salt-water behind him.
Someone needed to show up soon, because if he was already talking to animals after two days…
There was a general consensus that at least a rudimentary amount of sanity was helpful when plotting vengeance.
And he definitely had some vengeance plotting to do… and a ship to reclaim… and quite possibly a friend to avenge, if Bill did something stupid…
Muttering to himself, Jack Sparrow made his meandering way back toward the rum cache, deciding that he was definitely too sober to contemplate everything that awaited him once he found a way off the bloody island he had so kindly been made governor of, all thoughts of dolphins and good luck fading from his mind as quickly as the water evaporated from his clothing.
*****
It was the whistles that alerted Jack to the dolphins' presence behind the Interceptor.
"Will."
"What?" An edge of annoyance infiltrated the lad's voice.
"We've got company." The pirate watched in amusement as the younger man tensed. "Non-military variety, though."
"Then what… " Will looked down at the small group of animals playing in the wake of the ship. "Dolphins, Jack?"
"They're good luck, son."
"Really?"
"Really. Saved one once, y'know."
"You did."
Jack smiled at the lad's disbelief. "Don't worry, mate. With luck at our backs, we'll get your lass back."
And, more importantly, Jack would get the Pearl.