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Darcy laughs softly, nearly bumping into a gentleman, as she darts and weaves through the thickening crowd in the market square. Her cheeks are a little flushed with exertion, having spent an entire morning running to and fro between patrons and is now barely left enough time to catch the late morning vendors. She only hopes that she won't be too late, and will be able to gather the things she needs for a few of her potions.

Finally, she stops in front of her favorite vendor and flashes her a grin, "Morning, Velma!"

"Oh? And where have you been, lately? I haven't seen you in awhile."

Darcy laughs softly, "Can't be everywhere at once, but I tr--- ooph!"

She stumbles, caught off guard, and nearly loses her entire basket of purchases as something, or someone shoves into her quite small frame. She turns sharply, about to give whoever it was a sharp tongue scalding about being rude and just what she thought they could do with such terrible manners, and pauses at the sight of the dark, sleek doe in front of her, a little bewildered.

The creature is eyeing the stall with a gleam in it's eyes, and Darcy has the sudden vision of it diving into the display of herbs, roots, and other things. Velma seems dismayed, and casts her a look as if Darcy might be able to do something. The young witch only arches a brow in response, and turns as she spots a man approaching them quickly -- shouting things that make her grin.

"Guess she belongs to him!" Her tone is mischievous, and, after a moment, Darcy fishes through her pockets and comes up with an apple, "Hey you -- don't go eating those herbs, now! Miss Velma would hardly appreciate that. I have a nice apple you might like, though."

It's the first time that Darcy has been face to face with a guardian and a chosen. Unlike some ignorants who refused to believe in the old tales, Darcy has always known that there is more at work in the world than meets the eye. Still, now that she has one of the creatures before her, it's certainly much... well, more, somehow, than she'd ever thought it would be. The deer's eyes are definitely far more intelligent than some dumb beast, and far larger, too. Not to mention the coloring. How on earth could anyone mistake such a being for anything less than what it was?

Ah well. Darcy could aid or fix a number of ailments, but stupidity, unfortunately, is not one of them.

Her attention finally turns to the drawn, pale man, that approaches them, and she watches the exchange with interest.

"I gave her an apple, of course! Poor thing, she seemed rather hungry -- and I was worried she might go for the stand. I need some of those herbs for my patients," Darcy only dealt with people who had an actual need for healing. Sometimes she would sell potions and the like, to keep herself fed, but she never promised that they worked -- yet people still bought them.

She points to a number of herbs in quick succession for Velma to wrap as she speaks, and pays the women, before tucking the bundle into her basket, and faces Blythe with startling green eyes in sharp contrast to her wild, red, hair. Darcy then flashes him a grin which is quite unladylike, but then, well.... Darcy isn't exactly the appearance of a proper lady to begin with.

"Besides, I've decided that others shouldn't have to go hungry if I can help it, and the poor thing," she makes as if to pat the deer, catches Dire's hungry look and pauses before thinking better of it, and withdraws her hand, "seemed rather famished. What's the matter with you, anyway, not feeding her properly?"

Darcy watches as the doe snuffs about the table, and is unable to suppress a laugh when she attempts to eat, of all things, a rock. What was it, she wonders, that made the creature so insatiable, then, if what the man says is true?

How could a spirit creature require so much food? Certainly, then, it had to be something psychological and she eyes Blythe for a moment but.. no, she realizes he looks far too weary and exasperated to be the cause of it. More the opposite.

Well. That's interesting.

"How is that possible? Where does it all go?" The doe certainly isn't as rotund as one might expect, considering her habits. And the more she watches her the more likely the man's story seems to be. Her suspicions are lessened, for now, and she seems willing to believe him for the moment as the doe gnaws on the leg of the table.

"....Well... have you tried therapy of any sort? I've always heard that Guardians are far more intelligent than regular animals, though this is the first time I've been so close to one." She doesn't add that the impression is far from enlightening, thus far, and wonders if it's possible that Guardians may, at times, be just as... varied as people.

"I.. see.." She supposes that the man may have a point to that, but by the way the doe is looking at him she's not certain the creature agrees. It's hard to tell, in any case.

She wonders what in the world could bring about such a compulsion in a creature that doesn't even need to eat in the first place. That is, if the rumors are true and she certainly has no real reason to doubt them. Darcy is hardly unaware of some of the strange things the world is capable of, that's for sure.

She looks at the doe, "What's her name?"

Darcy smiles as the doe fixes her strangely intense gaze upon her, and pulls a carrot out of her basket to hand to the doe. She then slides a hand lightly against the creature's muzzle as she chews.

"Dire, well met," that said, she withdraws her hand and looks at the other man.

"Perhaps I shall, as you say. I usually try to make the trip once a year, if I can... I imagine with recent events this year's trip may prove to be especially interesting."

Her green eyes are sharp, and perhaps too knowing for her age as they fix on Blythe. "They say that blessings may come in the most unexpected of ways. Dire may not be what you, or anyone, would particularly hope for in a Guardian but... I hope that, eventually, the two of you may reconcile. There's too much potential in a life to spend your time wishing on what might have been. Better to accept what's here, now, don't you think?" Bold words, from a stranger, but Darcy's spent too much of he own life watching people squander what they have to ever do the same, or to let others go on thinking that way if she can help it.