I wanted to see her I had to. I had to explain and apologize for kissing her the previous night. I am sure I did something terribly wrong. Iâ€™m not sure what it is exactly, but Iâ€™m sure that it was something. It had felt so right though. I couldnâ€™t stop thinking about it. Every time I closed my eyes I could feel her lips on mine again. It was an odd sensation, but it felt almost like butterfly wings brushing my lips ever so lightly. It was new and wonderful and to a degree though I knew it was probably wrong all I wanted to do was kiss her again. I wouldnâ€™t though doing it once had been more than enough to ruin the friendship we had if she didnâ€™t return my affections. How could she possibly feel the same way about me? I was nothing. I was a thief a pickpocket who stole from the honest people of<span style="font-style: italic">her</span>kingdom.<br/><br/>I started on my way to the market. I made certain to keep a close eye on the trees. I knew she liked to climb trees and she might expect to meet me at our tree. I decided to wait for a little while in case she hadnâ€™t been able to make it out of the castle yet. It wasnâ€™t like she could leave whenever she wanted after all. I sat drawing pictures in the packed dirt path with a stick. I found myself thinking of her again. Without even realizing it I had drawn an accurate if slightly crude picture of her on the road. I brushed it away with my foot as I decided to continue toward the market. It wasnâ€™t as if we had agreed on a meeting place. We hadnâ€™t had time after all. I had sort of left in a hurry. I could just die for doing that. I was so unsure of everything now. I had been terrified of her reaction, but I think it was even worse not knowing.<br/><br/>I wandered around the market for a long time. I had a pretty good haul and I had found three rabbits in my traps when I checked them on the way home last night. I was glad to see none of them were pure white since I would hate to think what Katherine would think if I were to eat her friend. Maybe I should give up eating rabbit for a while. I had never much liked rabbit anyway it was tough and gamey. It was still meet though so I could get some good money for it and the pelts were worth even more than the meet. I kept one rabbit for the village. The Phillips had been especially hard up since Dan had been injured so they could use a bit extra to feed their small family. I traded the other two and sold the pelts so I wouldnâ€™t have to steal fruit today I could actually pay for it. I didnâ€™t mind stealing fruit, but my head was still spinning from the kiss last night and if I didnâ€™t have to be invisible I could pay more attention to the people around me, and look for Katherine among them more effectively.<br/><br/>I was starting to worry that she wasnâ€™t coming. Maybe she was a voiding me after what had happened. I wouldnâ€™t have blamed her after all I had been the one to kiss her. She hadnâ€™t given me any hint that she wanted me to. It might have just been that she couldnâ€™t get out today after all there were days when she just didnâ€™t get the chance to leave. After such a great day yesterday though I had felt sure she would come out today. I could do a locator spell if I had anything of hers, but I donâ€™t think that I do. I was about to give up on Katherine when I saw a doctor riding like a bat out of hell. He was on a palace horse though. I knew because of the coat of arms on the gear. Only palace horses had the Woodville coat of arms on their gear like that. He almost ran over a boy in his haste. I could see it before it happened. I ran out to grab the boy getting in the way of the horse myself.<br/><br/>â€œYou street rat get out of my way the princess is dying I have no time to deal with you!â€ He hit me across the face and yelled at me. I wouldnâ€™t have expected him to hit as hard as he did, but I had almost caused him to fall from his horse. He had almost trampled a boy to death though. I had been hit before though this was nothing overly exciting after all I had saved the boy and I was fine for the most part. It wasnâ€™t till I processed his words that things got bad. Princess? DYING? No it couldnâ€™t be I wouldnâ€™t let that be true. Katherine was not allowed to die on me. I had just gotten my friend back I was not going to loose her to some stupid illness. She said I would make a good healer, I guess this is my chance. I ran after the horse I was much slower, but I could tell by the path cut in the people in the market where he had gone and better yet where he was headed. I could get there twice as fast if I took a short cut. I ran through the streets dodging people. I dropped of my load in the back room of the Dancing Dove. The owner was a friend of mine. I had used his back room for years. He had been one of my parents best friends and was probably the only person other than Katherine that I had shown my magic too. He knew I could get into sticky situations and if I ever left anything in his back room he was able to make sure it found itâ€™s way to the village. Iâ€™m not sure how he did it but as long as it happened I didnâ€™t really care.<br/><br/>I was able to catch up almost catch up with the horse by using the smaller back streets that were too small for a horse. I was surprised he hadnâ€™t made better time actually, but it was very crowded at the market today and only using the main roads the people definitely would have slowed the horse down a good deal. It seemed luck was on my side. I just wish it were on my side enough to not have made Katherine ill in the first place. Oh well that was not important right no the important thing at this point was making her better not blaming the universe for making her ill. I slipped into the herbalist shop right behind the doctor. I pretended to be browsing the shelves. This place actually had a lot of the ingredients I used fro potions at a very good price. I might have to come back here when my potion kit was running low.<br/><br/>I was looking at the merchandise but my ears were perked to pick up every single word that the doctor and herbalist exchanged. The doctor quickly recounted the story of the princess and how she had eaten a slice of pie with unknown berries before becoming ill. It sounded like she was in really bad shape. The doctor took out a pouch of the berries hoping that the herbalist would be able to identify them and know of something that would help the princess. I had to get a look at those berries. I slid around the outside of the room until I could look at the berries. I recognized them immediately. I knew no one else would though. They were a very rare, very magical, and very poisonous breed of night lock. They couldnâ€™t do anything for her. The doctor the herbalist no one could do anything . . . anything legal at least. I suppose it is a good thing Iâ€™m already morally questionable. I knew I would end up in trouble eventually for one reason or another at least this reason would be worth it. I stayed just long enough to be confirmed in my belief that the herbalist didnâ€™t recognize the berries and couldnâ€™t help. I would have to give the doctor enough time to get back. I couldnâ€™t afford being stopped or caught before I reached Katherine.<br/><br/>I stopped by The Dancing Dove and told Tom to make sure everything got to the people. He knew whom the people were and how to get the food there. He gave me a glass of spiced cider. I am positive it is some kind of magical mix. It always makes me feel better, think clearer, and move faster. I needed it today and he could tell just by looking at me. I took Tom for granted most of the time, but he always came through for me when I needed it. I drank the cider feeling itâ€™s effects immediately and thanked him before moving as fast as my feet would carry me to the castle walls. I wasnâ€™t quite sure how I planned to get in or find Katherine once I was in, but I knew I had to be there. She wasnâ€™t about to die not on my watch.<br/><br/>I stood at the wall just puzzling it out for a little while. I went to check the hole that she used to make her escape to freedom. I would never fit through there. I wasnâ€™t fat by any means, but I was not nearly as slim as her. Well in the mean time I could do a locator spell. I needed some time to figure out how to get up there and I did need to find out where in the castle she was anyway. This was the easiest way to find out where she was. I had learned the hard way that she didnâ€™t like when I went snooping around, but this was different. I was trying to help her. I was trying to save her life. No one else would know what to do. I could cure her though. I would be using magic yes but wasnâ€™t that better than a dead princess? I canâ€™t really say actually. I donâ€™t know why magic was banned so I have no idea exactly how strict the law is on that matter.<br/><br/>I went to the edge of the trees. I drew a basic map about what I knew of the castle in the dirt. I took out a clear crystal from a pouch at my belt along with a length of string. I started lowly chanting and spinning the crystal as it hung from the string in a large arc over the map. It took some time but the crystal started to glow and finally stuck to one spot refusing to go any farther. That was where she must be. I thanked whatever deity had allowed the locator spell too work since I would usually need an object that belonged to her.<br/><br/>I rushed back to the wall. It was high. I could float a few inches of the ground sometimes but I would never be able to get that high. The stones were fit tightly together not enough hand and footholds to climb the normal way. Could I make it through the gate? Maybe if I used a disillusionment spell. I could just walk in with whatever was coming to the castle. People and things were always coming and going. I ran to the gate of the castle. There was a long stream of people already coming out. They must have been sent by the kind to search for a cure. They wouldnâ€™t find one. This was a magical illness that needed a magical cure. No one was stupid enough to admit they had magic to a castle guard it would be like signing your own execution.<br/><br/>I cast the spell to make me invisible. I had always thought being invisible a cool idea, but being so beyond notice already I rarely had use for the spell. I was never happier about my grandmother making me learn it than right now. I watched carefully for my chance. Everyone was making way for a carriage probably carrying weapons, by the look of it and the sound it made as it rattled on the path. I squeezed against the wall and slipped inside. I was in. I would have to reorient myself now. I had drawn the map from where the wall crossed the forest path not where the gate was. If the path was at the south west side of the castle and the gate was on the east side of the castle that meant that . . . there that was it the tower she should be in.<br/><br/>I rushed towards the entrance to the castle. I knew my feet were loud on the floor but there was no one to hear them. I wasnâ€™t sure I would be able to keep them quite even if I had to. I was too concerned with getting to Katherine as fast as possible to care how loud my feet were. I knew it didnâ€™t really matter, if the people in the castle couldnâ€™t hear how hard and fast my heart was beating they wouldnâ€™t hear any other sounds I might make.<br/><br/>I reached her door and was about to knock before I realized that it was highly unlikely that she would be left alone in her condition. I waved my hand over the door and whispered the clear as glass spell. It worked much better on the wooden door than it had on the castle wall. I noticed that there was only a single maid with her. That wasnâ€™t so bad there could have been a lot more people. I slowly called through the door. â€œMary you are needed in the kitchen.â€ I didnâ€™t know if that would work, but I figured it was worth a try. She did in fact exit the room. I was relieved about that. She was careful to lock the door as she made her way down the hall though. I could have opened the door with magic, but using the tricks of my trade would be quicker. I pulled out my set of lock picks and started to work on the lock. It wasnâ€™t a hard one only two tumblers.<br/><br/>I slipped in and my breath hitched when I saw her curled on the bed in pain. I knew it would be bad since the moment I saw the berries, but I had no idea it would be this bad. It had been a long time since she ate them. I had seen the effects before, but usually people caught it after only and hour or two at the most. She must have eaten the pie twelve hours ago if not longer. She looked awful.<br/><br/>I quickly dropped the disillusionment charm and closed the door locking it with magic. I didnâ€™t want to get in and cure her just to be kicked out. I needed time. This wasnâ€™t going to be an easy task and I couldnâ€™t risk anyone with a key walking in to stop me before I was done. I ran to the bed and got down on my knees. I brushed the damp dark brown curls away from her face. â€œKatherine? Please say something Katherine.â€ I shook my head she might be too far-gone to even realize it was me. I held her hand and brushed the back of it lightly. â€œIt will be Ok girly Iâ€™m here now. I promise you will be ok.â€ I took a deep breath and started to focus on finding all the poison. I would have to draw it out of her with magic. It would hurt and exhaust me, but I wasnâ€™t going to let her die. I refused to allow that to happen even if it meant my own destruction. â€œThis will hurt . . . try not to scream.â€ I wasnâ€™t sure I would be able to take it if she screamed. I didnâ€™t want to hurt her but there was no other choice.