Sam did her best, inspecting various vases for cracks, and sifting through packets of salted meat for anything that looked rotten. Fairly dull work until she saw someone trying to unload an oddly fancy looking rug, with intricate paisley patterns and tassels.
"You ask far too much friend. Sure it's well woven and fancy enough, but only a king needs a mat under his feet to be all frilly. On my route the best I could hope is some pig farmer needs something to wipe the muck off his feet with, and this looks like it'd fall apart with treatment like that."
Sam had a hunch though. "I'll take it!" she shouted.
"In exchange for what? That sword of yours?"
Sam almost said yes, but if the katana did the same thing to this guy as it had to her, that wouldn't end well. She thought a moment before shouting, "these shoes!" Coming from the modern world, they were a lot better put together than the crude sandals these people tended to wear, and since being turned into a woman they were entirely too oversized. There was a bit of negotiation, she also had to throw in her socks.
So Sam walked off from the trading post, barefoot, a a sword over one shoulder, and a heavy carpet rolled under her other arm. Once she was far enough away not to be seen by anyone, she spread the carpet out, sat down in the middle, and said, "I really hope my hunch is right, and you're a magic carpet that can fly."
As soon as she said the word, sure enough, the carpet took off into the air, flying in whatever direction she willed at surprising speed. Finding the wizard's castle was quite easy, and a glance below proved that this would have been a nightmare of a journey if she'd tried to walk. As it was, she could just skip straight to the top of the central tower and... find herself attacked by the flying gargoyles guarding the top of the castle. Of course.