<span style="color: #8000FF"><br/>He sighed at her comment about the nickname angel fitting him. The last thing he really wanted was another person calling him angel. He always felt like a fraud when they said it since an angel was the last thing he felt like. He could point that out later though. If she started calling him angel he could always just tell her to cut it out. She probably wouldnâ€™t, but it would be no more annoying than anyone else doing it. He was sure she would have no lack of other ways to get under his skin at any rate. She seemed to have a knack for that almost as much as she had a knack for getting herself into sticky situations. He had to admit that despite her ability to get under his skin and always having to help her out of whatever mishap she ended up in he was starting to like spending time with her. If it wasnâ€™t so detrimental to his income he might make a habit out of it. After the last two days there was no telling if she would spend her new found freedom to explore the city again though after all it hadnâ€™t worked out very well so far. <br/><br/>He looked over at the caldron more closely to see why she was alarmed. He saw the sparks and noticed the color was already changing some. He was actually happy to see the sparks. â€œOh yes it is a very good sign I wasnâ€™t sure if I got all the stirring right since I was mixing a potion both to get rid of the swelling and guard against infection just in case.â€ He said it with a smile and a significant look at her even more swollen ankle. It would still be some time before the potion was done brewing. <br/><br/>She had said it was his turn again. He was kind of disappointed to hear this since he was having a lot of fun finding out tidbits about her. She said he could ask questions, but he felt that he should probably tell her a bit more about himself first if he just asked questions then it would be like she was answering his questions without getting anything in return and that didnâ€™t seem like a fair trade. They say there is no honor among thieves of course, but Gabe was not that kind of thief after all. It would feel wrong not to tell her anything after all he had deduced so much about her it didnâ€™t seem right to leave her with no more knowledge. <br/><br/>He thought back to his childhood. He didnâ€™t want to talk about when he was young that would make him look too vulnerable. He refused to talk about his family then she would pity him and he wouldnâ€™t be able to stand that from her. He didnâ€™t want to talk about his more unsavory activities she already knew too much about that as it was. The only things left were the basics. He would have to start there and just tread softly to avoid the more complicated topics. <br/><br/>He took a deep breath preparing himself to begin. He thought the easiest way to start off would be to give him the same basics she had only referring to himself instead of her. He didnâ€™t think that would be too telling. â€œWell my real name is Gabriel Moncrief as I already told you. I donâ€™t find myself strange but I find you a bit odd. I walk into trouble more often then I would like to but only because it ends up being profitable most of the time. I have been on my own for almost as long as I can remember.â€ He said it as nonchalant as possible hoping that she wouldnâ€™t make a big deal out of it as long as he didnâ€™t. It also wasnâ€™t entirely true he could remember a lot of things about his parents and even more about his grandmother, but to a degree it was also true that even before he lost them he was on his own. <br/><br/>He shook away the darker thoughts starting to cloud his head. He refused to let his dark past show. He never told people about his dark past it was safer. He wasnâ€™t about to tell this girl about his past it would be even worse than telling other people. She cold make her own assumptions about why he was always only as a kid, but he wasnâ€™t about to explain. It was time to move back towards easier topics now. â€œIâ€™m 22 at the moment. My birthday is in about a month so I will be 23 soon. My age doesnâ€™t really matter though I never celebrate my birthday since there is no reason. When you grow up in the slums another year older mostly means one year closer to dying; that isnâ€™t something to celebrate.â€ He shrugged. Oddly enough he found this morbid outlook safer and happier than where the talk had been heading a moment before. <br/><br/>He had to think for a moment about what he had dreamed about. He didnâ€™t have many dreams mostly just nightmares. It took quite a while for him to discover what he really wanted. He had intended to lie, but found when he spoke the truth came out and he was as surprised as anyone to discover what it was. â€œI want to live. I live but I scrape by and care for others. I want the freedom to do anything I want. I donâ€™t suppose that makes much sense to you girly. I want to have the means to truly help people if I choose too or to travel far away and become more than I am here, to just live however I think fit instead of trapped in a life that I didnâ€™t choose. That makes me sound greedy like I just want money but . . .â€ He shook his head how could someone who had always had enough money to do whatever they liked possibly understand what he really wanted wasnâ€™t money but the freedom it granted to those who didnâ€™t have it. <br/><br/>He went back to the potion. He didnâ€™t want to look at her. She was dangerous to talk to. If he looked at her any longer who knew what he might tell her. He had already gotten far too close to two very dangerous subjects. The potion was almost done so he decided to ask a few questions it would get the topic off him and hopefully give the potion enough time to finish so he didnâ€™t have to say anything else and could just send her on her way. â€œI do have a few questions. The first is where are you from? I know it isnâ€™t near by at least not in the city I would have seen you there. How do you not know about magic? I mean I know it has been banned in this kingdom since well when my parents were young or before even, but I thought everyone knew about it they just didnâ€™t talk about it.â€ A small smile came to his lips as he thought of his last question. â€œDo you really think Iâ€™m a very strange man?â€ It was a joke and he hoped it would ease the tension that had started to set in when he had started to talk about himself. It was worth a try at any rate even if it didnâ€™t work. </span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #00BFFF">Looking over at the potion which was brewing Kathrine turned her gaze upon Gabe's as he checked to see what it was doing. To her relief it seemed that this was what it was meant to do. "Oh ok. I was just making sure." Kathrine replied with a small embarrassing smile. She know felt kinda silly for acting in the way that she did. Gabe seemed so calm and relaxed and there she was flapping her wings. Well no one could really blame her, after all, all this was new to her. As he glanced at her ankle she could tell but the look on his face that it had in fact gotten even worst from the last time they had both looked at it. Looking down at it herself she saw that it was true. It was almost twice the size it would be normally and the thought of even moving it made Kathrine wince slightly. <br/><br/>With the fact that Gabe wasn't doing anything to the potion it seemed that she still would have to wait a little longer. Kathrine couldn't help but wish that time would go faster and that the potion would become ready thee and then. Not that she was keen on getting away from Gabe, on the contrary, she was in fact starting to like his company quite a bit. It was in fact the pain she was going though with her ankle that made her want the potion to be ready now. Giving a light sigh she drew her attention back over to Gabe to try and get her mind off of it. Besides it was his turn to talk more about himself OR to ask her some questions. <br/><br/>After a few minutes of silence she heard Gabe take a deep breath. Kathrine hopped that he didn't mind her asking him for more information about himself, but she had given him the option of just asked her more questions about herself, though she wasn't sure how much she would be able to give him without giving away who she really was. Well Kathrine only had to worry about that if he choose to ask her more questions. As it turned out he was will to give her more information about himself. A warm smile appeared on her lips as she looked across at him as he started to speak again. She was quite relief to know that he was will to talk more about himself and plus she would be able to place this better picture of who Gabe Moncrief was. So far he wasn't as bad as a man she had though he was when they had first bumped into one another. <br/><br/>Yes Kathrine's persona of Gabe was ever changing. Each time the meet or bumped in she would learn something knew about him. At first she would admit that he was somewhat of a down graded thief (more of the villein then anything else) but then that first day she notice that he only did what he did for the children. And today, oh so many things she had now learnt about him. Gabe had many disguise all for different reasons which made him smart, he knew what he had to do to get the right price for something. Yet again to benefit the people in his village. Then she learned that he could do magic. Something which she had never came across in her life and he always seemed to be there to help her, like now with her ankle and hand. Kathrine really didn't see him as a thief anymore but more of someone who works hard (And maybe not within the rights of the law) but not for himself but for those around him. He was Kind, cleaver, thoughtful and even somewhat charming. Though he would push these limits sometimes with teasing and playing around with Kathrine, but then that was almost something else she was starting to grow towards him. <br/><br/>Kathrine eyebrows raised slightly when he said that he found her odd, if anything he was the odd one out of the two of them. The thought made a light, small giggle break though her lips for a split second. Still lessening to very word that he said she frown lightly when he had said that he had been on his own for almost as long as he could remember. She found that slightly odd with that fact he had mentioned his grandmother to her, but then maybe he placed it like that so then he wouldn't have to talk about her. The fact that Gabe seemed calmed about the matter, like it wasn't a big deal made her wonder wither or not to bright up his grandmother. So for now she keep her mouth closed and kept what even questions she might have, for a little latter. <br/><br/>There was a slight pause before Gabe continued. Kathrine took this time to take in what he had just said. She could understand the trouble that he would get himself into. He was quite like her in away. Determined to get what they wanted, no matter what the coast or the outcome might be. before too soon Gabe was talking again. Kathrine smiled brightly over at him ready and eager to learn more about him. Ah so he was a few years older then herself, that was quit interesting. She had though of him to be in his twenty's but perhaps not in his younger ones. Though when he smiled and seemed to be less serious he looked his age perfectly. Kathrine would of though that the topic of his birthday being a month away would seem to brighten up the conversation but they way he placed it seemed to place a dark twist to it. Never had Kathrine though of getting older to be like this. But then she had a much easier life then he has, so they was bound to have different views on the matter and any other things that come to mind. <br/><br/>Looking down at her hands she thought about her 19th birthday which had only passed a little over a month again. She started to think about how different both the birthdays would be. He with little and her with almost everything ( All apart her own freedom). Thankfully her thoughts where drawn away when Gabe spoke again. Freedom. Something that both of them wanted in life. It seemed no matter where your brought up of living everyone wants the same thing. Something which you have to fight for. "I know It will sound silly, with the way i'm brought up compared to you but I understand what you mean about freedom." Katherine replied looking down at her hands. "I may have riches and everything that people may dream off but I don't have my own freedom. I'v been locked away from the word. Told that everything his bad for me but I want to be the one to say what's bad for me and whats not. I want to get in trouble and learn to get out of them. I don't want to be this Lady that everyone looks up to..." Kathrine just managed to stop herself there. To far and she would easily give way to who she really was. Hopefully he would just think he wouldn't read to much into what she had just said. It seemed he too was dangerous to talk too. <br/><br/>Luckily it seemed he might have been to busy with the potion to have taken in every word and he had asked her some questions which she would answer to distract him from her talk about her own freedom. "Oh I don't life that far away. " Kathrine said as she looked across at him. This wasn't to much of a lie, after all the Castle wasn't that far away. "You may have not seen me because i'm not normally allowed out on my own..." she trailed off and turning her attention onto the other question Gave had asked. "I'v never been told about magic. I haven't seen anything like it before or even read about it. I didn't even know it was there to be banned. My Parents don't really talk to me about certain matters." she replied giving alight shrug. <br/><br/>Just like Gabe a bright smile appeared on her lips at his last question. "I find you interesting." Kathrine said truthfully with a wide smile. "I like interesting..." she admitted with her cheeks glowing slightly. Was she blushing at him? Quickly she turned her head slightly coursing her hair to flow down one side covering her face from his view, so she hopped. "I think it's strange that you find me odd though." Kathrine said as she felt her cheeks calm down from their glow. Finding some will power she took a little peek over at Gabe. Oh how childish he most think she is, hiding her blush like a little girl. Well to be honest this wasn't something she was used to. Blushing. She was surprised she knew what it even was. Not every often did she meet young Lords or Princes, but even when she meet them she didn't blush like she did with Gabe. She wondered why that was. Trying to distract the fact she was still blushing lightly she drew her attention to the potion. "How long do you think potion will take now?" she asked nodding to the potion. "It's just it's kinda hurting more now." she added as she looked down at her ankle. </span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #8000FF">Gabe found himself watching Katherine closely as she talked. He was taking in everything she said and yet not really paying much attention to her words. He heard them and processed them, but found himself much more interested in how her light blush made her look less like a spoiled kid and more like a young lady. She had been telling me she was a lady since I caught her the day before, but this was probably the first time she really looked like it; at least to me. She was a lady after all at nineteen, only three years younger than me, but she looked younger. The years of enough food and the money to purchase everything you wanted or needed made her look younger. I had always been told that my years of hard living made me look older. I figured it was probably true that I looked older than I was; having to grow up fast. Most of the people I traded with thought I was at least twenty-five, but they always took someone older more seriously so it was better if they thought I was older than I was plus they had been trading with me since I was fifteen or younger. <br/><br/>I was shaken from my musing about how she looked when I realized she had asked me a question. I felt my cheeks get a little pink as well when I realized I had been staring. I didnâ€™t care much about propriety, but staring was still rude I knew that much about good breeding. â€œOh um.â€ I looked in the pot. The potion was only a few minutes out it was already moving swiftly towards blue. I would have to keep a closer eye on it to make sure it didnâ€™t go to far. If I didnâ€™t get it out in time it would make her entire leg numb for the better part of a day and it would probably tingle for almost a week. It was not pleasant. â€œIt should be done in another minute or two.â€ I gave it another stir and sat watching it. <br/><br/>After a minute I pulled a small cup out of my bag. I canâ€™t remember when I started carrying around a cup, but you would be surprised how convenient it was. It was handy if I needed to drink a potion. Occasionally I would get a cup of stew at the market since I wasnâ€™t much of a cook. I could use it for water or lemonade or something stronger if I needed it while I was in town. Today it was of use to Katherine though not me. I dipped the cup into the potion and lifted out a small portion of the sky blue liquid. It looked perfect which meant it was brewed correctly. It wasnâ€™t as god as it would have been if his grandmother had made it, but it would do the job all right. I handed her the cup and waited. <br/><br/>When I did magic waiting was always the hardest part. People would either be scared or excited. I had never met anyone who just didnâ€™t know before. The commoners were excited and started asking my to conjure heaps of money and plenty of food which wasnâ€™t possible. I would have loved to help them by doing that, but that wasnâ€™t the way magic worked. I waited to see if she would drink the suspicious liquid or toss it out and try to make it back on her own. I wouldnâ€™t recommend trying to get back on her own and who knows what she would tell her over protective parents when she got there, but most people wouldnâ€™t recommend magic either. For someone who knew nothing about magic she seemed rather trusting of it. I wasnâ€™t sure if that was because she found magic interesting or if she actually trusted me. I wouldnâ€™t admit it to anyone but I secretly hoped it was the latter. If she trusted me I might feel less vulnerable around her, or I might feel more Iâ€™m not really sure how that might change things. <br/><br/>It didnâ€™t take long for Katherine to drink the potion though Iâ€™m still not sure why she decided to. For all she knew I could be poisoning her. If I mixed the ingredients improperly enough I would have been poisoning her, but usually having to test my brews on myself I rarely messed up a potion because I would be the one to suffer from a botched brew. The swelling in her ankle started to go down immediately. I let out the breath I hadnâ€™t realized I was holding. I had known it would work, but since I had never been much of a potion wiz I always found I was anxious until I KNEW I did it right. It would take a minute before I could repair her ankle. The swelling was going down but it was doing so slowly and her ankle had easily been over twice its normal size. <br/><br/>I quickly bottled the remainder of the potion for future use and then banished the pot I had brewed it in. I leaned back on the tree I had been leaning against while we talked earlier. I didnâ€™t really feel like talking when I talked I said too much besides technically it wasnâ€™t my turn. â€œWell I think it is your turn to share or ask girly and please make it interesting the day is starting to ware on me and my nerves.â€ I closed my eyes more to shield myself from the draw of her eyes and the enticing view of how her mouth wrapped around each word she spoke then because I was actually tiered. </span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #00BFFF">As I look across at Gabe, away from my swollen ankle, I realized that he had a light blush appear on his cheeks. I'v never seen a gentlemen or any kind of man blush before. Did it have something to do with what I said or was there anther reason that i'm not aware of? Either way it made him look younger and even possibly somewhat handsome and cute. Oh I mustn't start thinking like this again. I know a lady of my standard should even be around someone like him, let along have any kind of feelings, but there was just something about him. Something that I couldn't stay or rather didn't want to stay away from. As he looked over at the potion I found myself leaning too, though it was not as effective as when Gabe did it. I was to fare away to get a good look at what the potion was doing, but his reply made everything clearer. "Wonderful" It was a relief to know that the potion that he had made would seen be and I would be able to get my ankle back to it's right size. <br/><br/>I was surprised to find that we had both fallen silent as we both watched the potion bubble away happily as it now glowed a sky blue. It was the most beautiful shade of blue I'v seen, perhaps it was the fact it was going to help with my ankle but still it was lovely. I only drew my attention away from the potion when I heard some rustling noise coming from Gabe. Looking over I noticed that he pull out a cup. Hrm it seemed that Gabe was somewhat of a handy man, I wonder what else he carried around with him? I continued to watch him as he leaned over to the potion and dipped it in,filling the cup with the potion. I supposed it was my turn to drink the potion. <br/><br/>When I was younger my Mother and Father told me to never take things from strangers, that he didn't know what they where really giving you. Though they didn't have to worry about that too much, I was never allowed out of the Castle walls to be able to meet strangers. But that has all changed now. The last few day's I have been able to meet strangers and none of them ever seemed to be as bad as my parents had said. I wonder why they have been so worried to allow me not to go pass the Castle walls? Taking the potion carefully from his hands I looked down at the perfect sky blue liquid. It was strange to think that this little drink was going to help take the swollen from my ankle away. I know that deep down I should be wary of what i'm about to drink but for some odd reason I trusted Gabe. Over the last few days he has done a lot for me and never once have I been worried he was ever going to hurt me, not even when we first meet. <br/><br/>With complete faith in Gabe I closed my eyes and placed the cup to my lips and tipped the cup gently so the sky blue liquid would gently pour pass my lips and down my throat gently. I had thought the potion would have some kind of strong taste. But if anything it tasted like water but with the slight hint of something, something I couldn't quite place my finger on. Over all it was quite refreshing and soon I could feel the pressure around my ever swollen ankle fade. Looking down I was amazed, the swelling was actually fading. It seemed that both me and Gabe was holding our breaths as we both let out a large sigh. Slowly bit by bit it was shrinking and I could take my eyes off of it. It was like, well Magic. <br/><br/>I had only took my eye off of my ankle when Gabe had start to talk to me. Looking across at him, with my goofy smile I sure I had placed on my lips, I thought about what he had asked. So it was my turn to talk about more or ask questions. I found myself though getting distracted by the way he looked with his eyes closed. Just like when he smiled or blushed he looked young and welcoming. I found myself smiling warmly over to him and yet again I was staring. Finally finding my voice. "You would like to hear more about me? I thought you would be bored of me talking by now." I let out a small giggle that I hadn't expected to come out. As of this I could feel my cheeks glow again, luckily his eyes where closed but I still drew my eyes away from him just in case. <br/><br/>I would of thought talking about me would of been easy but I was finding it hard. There was so much I wanted to tell him but then that would give way i'm the princess. Perhaps I could tell him a dream of mine. "I want to travel and learn how to do knew things....Like to swim!" The thought popped into my mind. "I would love to be able to swim, like you" I turned my gaze upon the stream and then over to Gabe and smiled warmly. "I have a few hobbies. I like to read and arrange flowers, and between you and I, I have a tendency to climb trees." I though that last fact would peek his interest. Even at my age of being 19 I still love to climb trees like I was six again. "I know it's not a lady like thing to do and when ever my mother sees me she come's running crying 'KATHRINE WOOD-...S, Get down from that tree this instant. Your a lady not a child" I said trying to act like my mother on her high posh tone. Oh god I had almost let slip again, I must be more careful when I talk to him about myself. I gave another giggle trying to hide the fact I had almost said Woodville and turned to ask him a question. <br/><br/>"So what about you, have you got any hobbies or secret things you like to do that your not meant to?" I smiled brightly and looked back down at my ankle it was now almost back to it's normal size and returning back to it's right color. "I bet you like to dress up like a lady..." I teased over to him as I thought about his disguise he was wearing earlier that day. I could tell I was feeling better, not only by the fact my ankle was shrinking but because I could feel my slightly cheeky side appear again. I looked across at him and smiled brightly. I hopped he would see the funny side to what I was saying and enjoy a laugh with me. </span><br/><br/><br/><span style="color: #8000FF">I laughed, but not because of her joke. Well it was partly because of her joke though I did dress up like a girl a few times to get a better price on bread from the bakers wife who it seemed hated men. She would knock a whole twenty percent off the price for a strong independent girl and that was worth it unless I had already tapped too much magic to do a convincing glamour. The bakery was generally my last stop of the day and it was always a fifty percent chance that I would be dealing with the wife instead of the baker himself and he wasnâ€™t biased the way his wife was. I should probably keep that fact to myself though no need for her to know that I had in fact dressed up like a girl a few times. I have to admit I didnâ€™t like it who women walk in skirts all the time I will never figure out how she could climb trees in them, that is a mystery for the books. <br/><br/>I opened my eyes to look at her. I stopped laughing and looked deep into her grey eyes. How much could I really tell her? When would she decide I wasnâ€™t the type of person she should be around? I knew she would leave everyone did eventually. What I was afraid of even more than the fact that she might not come back was that I did want this to be the last time I saw her. I wasnâ€™t supposed to form relationships or feelings for anyone they made everything too complicated. I had told myself at the age of thirteen to stop caring about people. My parents were gone and I had already seen too many children in my village that I cared for die. I had learned that lesson yet here I sat and found myself caring for this girl. <br/><br/>Of all the people I could be drawn to her I canâ€™t figure why it would be her. There were plenty of pretty girls at home even ones that were better off and self-sufficient not to mention they actually seemed to like me, which I was positive she didnâ€™t. I had never really considered a relationship in that sort of capacity though. This line of thought was pointless anyway. She was just talking to me because I was fixing her ankle. She just wanted my help. The only reason people ever dealt with me was to get something. She was getting a healed ankle and an adventure. Well if she wanted excitement she would get it I suppose. <br/><br/>I thought about closing myself off. It would be safer to just stop talking to her heal her ankle and send her on her way. I told myself that was what I should do. I had been only too happy to be free of her the day before. So much had changed in such a short time though. I decided if this was the last time I was going to see her I might as well enjoy it. I would have to sever the bond, but that was just the more reason to enjoy this time while it lasted. <br/><br/>To give myself a bit of time to think about her question, instead of how much I wanted to know her better, I closed my eyes again. I laughed when I remembered her question. â€œI think you have forgotten who you are talking to girly. I am a thief I get from day to day by doing the one thing I really shouldnâ€™t do. Iâ€™m not supposed to steal no one is.â€ I decided to pass on that part of her question for a bit. â€œI donâ€™t really have time for hobbies, but there are so many things I would like to learn if I had the time. I would love to learn more about magic, but there arenâ€™t any books on it left in this kingdom so that is a bust. I want to fly.â€ I spread my arms out to my sides and sat up straight my eyes still closed. My arms snapped back to my sides and my eyes flew open when I realized how stupid I must look like that. I suppose what I really want to learn is a skill that would allow me to live some other way. If I had my choice I think I would want to be a medic thought I think it is more likely I will be a groom or a blacksmith something that keeps me grimy and hidden from view.â€ He shook his head. He knew he would never be able to see people suffer even if he were a medic he would probably end up being executed since he would surely use his magic to heal the people regular medicine couldnâ€™t help. â€œAny way back to things I really shouldnâ€™t do. I think I remember telling you magic is banned.â€ He raised an eyebrow with a soft gesture to the hand he had healed for her earlier. <br/><br/>He looked at her ankle. It was back to its normal size. He knew that healing her ankle would hurt a little. He thought it was probably better to keep her distracted. He needed to think of an antidote. She had said she enjoyed climbing trees and wanted to learn to swim. He had the perfect story, which actually worked with both of those about when he had learned to swim. He took her ankle and started to scan it with his magic since he could get a better idea of the damage now that the swelling was gone. While he did this he constructed the story in his head. <br/><br/>He had the story ready and started waiting a bit before he started to work on healing the ankle so she would be sufficiently distracted when he did get to the painful parts. â€œWould you like to know how I learned to swim? Donâ€™t bother answering girly Iâ€™m sure you would like to know and even if you donâ€™t Iâ€™m going to tell you anyway sine it is my turn to share and it is a fairly entertaining story. I have been on my own since I was twelve. I wasnâ€™t a very good thief at first. Like anything stealing takes practice and since I had just worked in an orchard during harvest prior to that I didnâ€™t have any practice in stealing. I had managed to nick a few apples and a loaf of bread or two, but it wasnâ€™t enough. I hadnâ€™t had meat in probably a month and I didnâ€™t know how to hunt back then so if I wanted meat I had to steal it. Well I learned that day to never try and steal from the butcher. I swear that man has eyes in the back of his head. I couldnâ€™t even get away with stealing from him with the skills I have now. To get meat from him you have to do it the honest way. Anyway he made his son take over while he chased me down he caught me about halfway home. I had a fat turkey clutched in my teeth if you can believe it. I donâ€™t recommend it you will be tasting it for the next two weeks. Anyway he was catching up to me so I scaled a tree it was the only thing I had any skill at so it seemed like the right thing to do and he never could have gotten up the tree. If I hadnâ€™t been so scared it would have been hilarious watching him try. As it was I was just trying to figure out how to get away and keep the turkey. I was about to drop the turkey and hope he wouldnâ€™t beat me too hard when I heard a something, something big and headed in our direction. Well as it turns out it was a bear. Now I donâ€™t mind bears too much there are quite a few in the forest here, but you do not want to be stuck up a tree where there is a bee nest when I bear comes along. The butcher bolted, but Iâ€™m up in this tree with a very hungry bear trying to push it down to get at the honey from the hive that is like right over my head. I start to climb higher in the tree. To try and be far enough that the bees wonâ€™t blame me when their nest is destroyed. I get about two feet up from the nest when I feel the tree. The bear has succeeded and the bees are headed for me. The tree is falling and I am about to be attacked by about a hundred angry bees and I see that if I can climb a foot up I can let go and I will fall into a deep pool of water, a lake about half a mile form here actually. I climb while being stung of course and leap into the water still clutching my turkey though no longer in my teeth. Well in all my brilliant planning of how to get away from the bees and the bear I had forgotten one very important thing. I had no idea how to swim. I sunk right to the bottom found myself surrounded by fish with no idea what to do. It must have taken me three or four hours to swim my way toward home. I was half drowned and creaked a lake in the front room of our house when I got home. My grandmother or anyone else for that matter has never scolded me worse in my life. I got quite a beating for it but I couldnâ€™t stop smiling because despite everything else that had happened I had a nice fat turkey to cook that night. I havenâ€™t tried stealing from the butcher since though.â€ I smiled at her watching her face to see what she had thought of my story. <br/><br/>During the story I had managed to completely heal her ankle without missing a beat of the story. It seemed like she hadnâ€™t even noticed as I did it. I was glad because it hurt all the more if you were actually trying to think about something else. If you were actually thinking about something else it usually didnâ€™t hurt too bad. Her ankle would still be tender for a few days thought. She should try to stay out of trouble if she could. â€œWell girly you are all fixed up. Your ankle should be fine, but it will be uncomfortable and a feel a little odd for a bit so I would try to take it easy, no climbing trees now and I wouldnâ€™t recommend swimming at least not till it is healed and if you do try take advice from someone who learned the hard way practice in shallow water first.â€ I smiled down at her hoping she would laugh at might frail attempt to joke. <br/><br/>I stood stretching my back. I extended my hand to help her up. Just because I wasnâ€™t a real gentleman didnâ€™t mean that I didnâ€™t have and chivalry. â€œIâ€™ll take you back to town I still have to get something for tonight canâ€™t disappoint the kids. I think Iâ€™ll wait till tomorrow to trade the earrings though no point in using too much magic in one day or Iâ€™ll get sloppy.â€ I looped my arm under hers to help her get back to town without putting too much weight on the foot. I could give her another numbing charm when we parted ways it was an inconspicuous enough spell that it could be done without anyone noticing. I grabbed her shoe and stocking taking them with us. It was easier to walk through the woods in bear feet though besides she seemed the type to like adventures. <br/></span>