Dream Voyage
by mardel
R

Disclaimer: I just borrowed them for the story they are owned by others.

Sam sighed, it was the end of a long week and she wanted nothing more than to veg out in front of her television. Chloe was with her grandparents for the weekend and Angel was out on a date. She thumbed through the TV guide looking for something to watch. She finally decided on a period movie on the history channel. Christopher Columbus: The Discovery.

She enjoyed period movies they helped her forget her problems for a few hours and return to another time another place. The movie started and it was good, it held her interest. About twenty minutes into the action she noticed the actor playing one of the lead characters looked very familiar. My God! He looked like Bailey!

Only slightly younger and with long hair. Sam sat forward and watched more carefully sure her eyes were playing tricks on her. He even moved like Bailey, his voice was even the same deep soft baritone. She was entranced, glued to the television. The character who was Bailey's double was Martin Pinzon, one of the other captains of the ships that joined Columbus on the voyage to discover a new passage to India.

Sam watched, closely trying to find differences in the actor in question and her boss. Besides the fact he was a slightly selfish man, and wanted to take over the lead of the voyage when things weren't going as planned. He seemed very like Bailey. Sam tried to catch the actor's name in the credits but the channel half screened the roll and she couldn't make out his name. She was still wondering about the resemblance when she went to bed. Her dream was even more unbelievable.


Martin paced the deck of his ship, the Santa Maria. They were due to start with the tide but all of the supplies had not arrived as promised. He was ready to tell the crazy man in charge of this trip to forget it. He wasn't going to lead his men off into the unknown with no supplies.
"I can no believe they expect us to travel for months with out the proper food and water."
He was pacing and talking to his assistant, Cero.

" I can take a message to Columbus for you Captain." Cero offered.
"I will go an see him myself." Martin made the decision. "Bring me my cape at once."

"Si, Captain. Right away." Cero hurried off to retrieve the cape from the cabin.

Cero had begun working for the Captain the year before, he'd worked his way into the trusted position of valet. He did anything and everything for his Captain. They had lived through a attack by pirates in the Indies during their last voyage. Cero admired Martin Pinzon more that any other man he'd ever known. Cero was only twenty years old and had been at sea most of his life. But he'd worked for several different men in his life. Pinzon was by far the most fare and honorable. He was also the most handsome.
Cero knew his Captain was a man the ladies panted for. His exploits in the cities they visited when the voyage was done were ledged. His wife adored him, his mistress adored him. He was never with out a beautiful woman when they were at port.

He retrieved the cape, and draped it over his Captain's broad shoulders. He was the a perfect example of a Italian nobleman. His shirt fitted to his magnificent build just so, showing the power of his chest and arms. His breeches clung to the muscle of his thighs, his groin covered with a simple cod piece. His sword belt hung at his waist, the cape draped from his wide shoulders. His dark hair was lush and full, framing his strong handsome features. His dark brown eyes shone in his anger with the stupidity of the situation.

"Stay here Cero, I will back soon." Captain Pinzon slapped his assistant on the shoulder, and stomped off down the gangway.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

" Idiot, he wants us to leave on the tide so we are leaving for Spain at once, without the supplies." Martin slammed his fist down on his chart table. He'd just entered his cabin after his return from visiting Columbus. They were about to set sail, the evening tide assisting with the ships to the open sea.

Martin was busy piloting his ship for several hours. He dreaded the crossing to Spain, they had only three quarters of the water they needed for the trip. Food was another matter, his cooks could catch fish and make up the difference. The weather was good, but they always had bad winds near Corsica.. The trip would take two weeks.

He settled in for a nap, wanting to be on deck in several hours for the course change. After he had settled in his bunk, closed his eyes and tried to relax, his scenes noticed something different. There was a sweet scent in the air, but it was not coming from his porthole window. He concentrated his scenes on the sweet smell, it was perfume!
Cero or someone had used his cabin for a liaison with a woman while he was gone.
Her sent lingered in his bedding, but when he sniffed his sheets they were clean and no sweet smell clung to them. Martin stood and carefully checked his cabin. It was only twenty feet by fifteen feet, not a large cabin, but not so small either.

He located the sweetness, his wardrobe locker. He relit his cabin lantern then he pulled open the door and a pile of rags fell on his feet.
The pile moved and squealed. " No sir, please I meant no harm, don't beat me."
"Beat you, the punishment for stowaways is keel hauling." Martin was smiling, she was a skinny wench, long legs and lots of yellow hair. "Explain yourself and be quick about it!'
He ordered in a voice twice as deep as ususal.

The girl, trembled at his feet. " I had to hide on your ship Captain. I was about to be sold to a hideous old man who liked to beat his servants. He was going to force me." She was crying now, Martin could barley understand her. " He was going to rape me." she sobbed.
He was sorry now he'd growled so loudly at her. He knelt down and lifted her chin, her eyes were huge, violet-blue and full of tears. " I will not let such a thing happen to you. I will take you away from here. I won't turn you in to the harbor master."

"Thank you Captain, thank you." She kissed his strong hand, " You are a gentleman and a savior."
" Stand up, tell me your name girl." She stood, her legs wobbly from her time bent up in his wardrobe. She smoothed her, over gown, attempting to straighten her clothing.

Martin saw she was not exactly a girl, her figure was mature, her breasts full even in her emaciated state. "Your name?" He asked again, but in a softer voice.

"Samantha," She looked up at him, then back at her hand folded against her body.
Martin nodded, and paced towards his bunk then back. "You will have to stay here
in my cabin if you desire to remain in hiding. Other members of my crew would
turn you in for the reward."
She nodded, her eyes on his face. Samantha noticed her benefactor was a handsome
virile man, she may have run from the fox and ended up with a wolf.
" I could repay you for your kindness Captain, as servant for your family.
I am good with children, and I am a quick learner."
"My children do not need a nanny. You do not need to repay me." Martin dismissed the idea, with a wave of his left hand.
"When was the last time you ate?" He came to stand in front of her again.
"Yesterday, Captain."
Martin went to his door and called out. "Cero!"
His servant came on the run, "Si Captain?"
"Bring me some food and knock when you return."
"Si, Captain right away."

Cero returned with bread, fruit and meat. " Cero, knock when you come back to wake me for the watch change,. you may go."
"Si, Captain."

Martin handed the food to Samantha and pulled his chair out for her to sit and eat.

"Grazie," she took the meat and bread and ate.

He dung in his locker for his hammock, the ropes he used to hang it from during
rough seas were already in place he tied the rope bed in place hanging from the ceiling cross beams.

"I will sleep in my bunk, you will sleep here. You will learn to appreciate the hammock once you have mastered climbing into it."

"Si, grazie Captain."

Martin reached for the apple and ate it while she devoured her meal.
"I need to sleep, so I will put the light out again. If Cero comes back don't worry, him you can trust, he is loyal to me."

Samantha nodded, and moved towards the hammock. She climbed in with only one
false start. Martin blew out the lantern and returned to his bunk. He knew before the voyage was over, he would regret helping Samantha.

Samantha was sound asleep in her hammock, the strain of the past few days having caught up with her. She jumped awake when a knock came at the door of the cabin.
"Captain it is time."
"Si, Cero I am coming." Martin stretched, he'd only slept a short time due to his stowaway.
Moon light was coming in from the window, she stared from her hammock as he stretched. The ties at his shirt front falling open to expose the wide powerful expanse of his chest. Samantha swallowed, he was magnificent her savior. A man of honor, a man of strength. A man of learning if he was a ship captain. She could feel stirring in her loins, she'd only been with a man once. A boy really, when she was made to work for the first man she'd been sold to. But he'd died. His daughter was the one who was selling her to the old man.

Her captain was no boy, he was a man, from head to toe.

"Stay in the cabin, I will tell Cero you are here. You will only be safe if you stay here."
Martin warned her. He pulled on his jacket and stepped out of his cabin.

Samantha sighed, once he'd gone. She hoped she could have a chance to freshen up
before he returned. She'd over heard it was only a course change, he wouldn't be
gone a long time and she needed to use the chamber pot.

Martin was gone for nearly an hour. Samantha was sleeping in the hammock when he
returned. He removed his jacket, and checked on her, her breathing was deep and regular.
"Poor child, she is exhausted." He pulled a small wool blanket from the end of his bed and covered her with it.