[h3]The Hunter's Dream[/h3]
It could come as no surprise when Ophelia, upon searing the Guidance Rune into her mind, began to see the Hunter's Dream she had only just discovered rather differently. Everywhere she looked there, inside and outside; darting across surfaces, crawling up the legs of tables and chairs, weaving past obstacles, flitting through empty air; everywhere, absolutely [I]everywhere[/I] in the Dream was alight with Guidance sprites. Their light was dim enough to not blind or dazzle her, but if Ophelia needed any further proof that they were truly in a realm of the Nightmare, she now had it. Before her eyes, and her eyes alone, strong, resilient moon-sprites swarmed and danced...
A wordless whisper from the sword – [I]her[/I] sword – gently caressed her mind. Though she would know that she could share the Guidance Rune with the others the same as she could her Lake and Eye Runes, she would also have a very strong feeling that it would not work as well for them. She could feel the Holy Moonlight Sword resonating with the rune in her mind, empowering it. It relished her admiration, but she could also feel its influence try to calm her; to dampen her fervor and restore her focus.
As it had with its most famous wielder, the great Ludwig, the Holy Blade... as it had continued trying to do, even as he was lost to the Nightmare and became Ludwig, the Accursed... the Holy Moonlight Sword did its best to safeguard her from madness. It would be at her side, through it all. It would be her true mentor. Her guiding moonlight.

Torquil looked from Ophelia to Farren, then back to Ophelia again. He did not understand what they were talking about at all. He did not understand what these runes were, the effects Ophelia were describing, nor why she was speaking to her sword. It was all very confusing to him, but then so were lots of things. In the end he just gave up trying to make sense of things and, as was becoming habit for him, simply accepted whatever judgment the others made.
“If you think it's useful,” he said, his voice slightly muffled by his new helmet, “you can put a rune on me, too.”

Meanwhile, over by the door through which they had all entered, the clicking of her heels and the ruffle of her skirt announced that the doll had climbed the stairs as well, and now joined them in the workshop. She looked briefly to the Shopkeeper, then back to the Hunters.
“The Shopkeeper is surprised, good Hunter,” she said, looking straight at Ophelia. “They have not known a Hunter to come to the Dream for the first time to already be familiar with Caryll Runes before. They wonder if you are perhaps from Hemwick, and might have been an associate of the witches who used to live there?”