Gale heard the sounds of footsteps and turned to see if it was Hrafriðr. A look or relief swept over her when she saw the woman had returned, however she felt that something was wrong somehow. Her attention was drawn to the wound on the woman's head. "Oh thank goodness you're back… Your head, it's bleeding." Her bright eyes looked troubled as she watched Hrafriðr walk unsteadily. Getting up, she went over to help her. "You are well in body and mind, I hope? The weeping spirits are out and about now. They have not drawn close, thankfully."

Seeing the fire had dimmed, she stoked the embers again to bring it back to life. Her heart eased as her newfound companion had come back safe and sound, and uttered a word of praise in foreign tongue. She waited awhile to let the other woman rest before asking her, "What did you find in the forest? You look as if something has shaken you deeply. What is this Nightmare King that you speak of?" The term itself seemed odd. As a dream-walker, the very name itself was taboo. One should never attempt to control the realm of dreams, or impose their will upon others' dreams. All dreams belonged only to their dreamers, and only them alone. To interfere was a crime against the person, as well as the world itself. The dream realm belonged to no one, and belonged to all.

"The very words trouble me, for how can one dare to claim themselves 'king' over what belongs to all people?" She shook her head as she imagined what her master Rashaad would say. "The very thought is abominable, and a crime of the highest degree. I pray that you are mistaken, friend."

Hrafriðr pressed her fingers to her forehead, once again feeling the wet, sticky warmth of her blood. From where she rested, she gave her best shrug. "Scalp wounds always bleed excessively." She frowned, briefly, as if some dark thought had just occurred to her. "When in a one on one fight and you're caught without a weapon, the elbow is usually sharp enough to break skin if you can land it on their forehead: the wound will bleed into their eyes and give an advantage." Hrafriðr wasn't sure where that particular bit of experience had come from.

For a moment, the woman let the silent rest between them, contemplating how much of the experience she should share with this young girl, of whom she knew scarce more than a name. In the end, what would it hurt to speak of it all, especially as at least some part of it had been meant for the young girl to hear: after all, Gale seemed to have some intimate knowledge of the Dream World which Hrafriðr herself lacked. "I found what I am meant to be." Her lips curved in hint of a smile, but no more than that, as she told Gale of all she had seen, leaving out nothing. When she finished her tale, she was silent for scarce moments before continuing.

"As to the Nightmare King, I had hoped you would know." She grabbed her cloak from nearby, bundled it up, and placed it carefully beneath her tender head as the talking began to weary her. "Some say the lands rule to all people, and yet we have kings, placed in such haughty positions by the might and power which would allow them to enforce their will." Again she shrugged. "Knowing as little as I do, I see no reason why it should not be the same of dreams. If there are those that can walk them, as I have met at least the one capable of doing so, then it stands to reason that there would be those who seek to dominate them, for that is the nature of those who have power."

Carefully, Hrafriðr turned to her side, so as to more directly look at Gale. "What makes such a thing abominable, or even a crime? Who makes such determinations as lawfulness in realms so ephemeral? What makes anything in any realm an abomination? If I, or this would-be king, took claim of dreams, to be sovereign over all realms of sleep, what makes doing so any more awful than seeking to rule some part of the physical world?"

She still kept her gaze on the woman's wound, listening as she spoke of what had come to pass in the time they were apart. It was indeed disturbing, with many things that raised questions. Gale knew not how such a thing was possible, but accepted the fact nonetheless. Anything and everything was possible; as long as it could be dreamed it could exist in the waking world. The dream-walker considered Hrafriðr's words on her perspective of the severity of meddling in the world of dreams and going beyond what most could. Yes, she understood why she asked such things and it was easy to agree. As an apprentice she had once innocently asked the very same questions to her master. Bringing her thoughts into order, she gave her reason for disagreeing with it.

"Yes, it may seem so. When compared in that manner the waking world and the realm of dreams appear very similar. However unlike the waking world, beneath such ephemeral realms lies the fertile soil which the thoughts and dreams of people spring from. In spite of the ever-changing state of the dreaming realm, if something is changed within the seed-bed of dreams it spreads rapidly and quickly becomes irreversible. A land may see many rulers, yet in the end the changes can be reverted with time. Such changes do not fade so easily in the dream realm–once a mark is made, it stays indefinitely." She folded her hands over one another, and sat so she crossed her legs. "I know my words may seem insignificant, and that it may be hard to see how severe the consequences of dabbling in the realm of dreams can be. I will tell you what I know, and hope it may serve to explain further that which I have said."

"When one speaks of the realm of dreams, it both belongs to all and to no one. The dreaming realm is made from all the individual dream-realms of every being that has the ability to dream. Yet because very few are capable of traversing past their own dream-realm, these smaller realms go about largely unaffected by each other. Dream-walkers have the capability to leave their dream-realm to enter those of others. When one leaves the boundaries of their own sphere of dreams, they relinquish the control they would possess in their own dreams and enter a dimension completely foreign and unfamiliar. In order to keep themselves from being consumed, dream-walkers must strengthen their minds and spirits to maintain their sense of self amid the chaos. Should their sense of self and will be strong enough, they can bend the flow of the river of consciousness. Being able to perform such feats already testifies to the strength of the person's spirit, regardless it does not grant them immunity to being caught unaware by the dangers of the unconscious. In the dreaming realm, what may only be a nightmare to one in slumber can easily become a lethal threat to a dream-walker. That is the risk of venturing beyond one's own borders."

Taking time to pause, she looked down at the fire. "There are other risks of dream-walking which I have not yet described. Even when one has mastered grappling with terrors of the mind, the danger does not stop there. There was once a man long ago who had the ability to foresee disaster through dreams. In his time the art of dream-walking was young and many were attuned to the dreaming world. However he soon became unable to control it, and whatever he dreamed would happen without fail. As tragedy after tragedy befell his village, he grew desperate in hopes of stopping a great calamity he had seen in a nightmare. At his wits end, he completely cut himself off from the realm of dreams, removing his ability to dream. By doing so he averted the great disaster, but the consequence was devastating. Whenever he laid down to sleep, he was met with an empty void. As the years passed, eventually the man went mad and took his own life shortly after. Though this is not the only way that imprudent dream-walkers have driven themselves to ruin. There were those who believed they could use their power to change the minds of other dreamers. Regardless of their original intentions and motives, in the end they wrought terror and suffering upon the very people they had wished to influence for the better. By then, they had completely lost themselves and were as mad as those whom they had imposed their will upon. They were finally given peace, in death."