 Soon the Count begins menacing Harker's fiancée, Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray, and her friend, Lucy Westenra.There is also a notable link between Dracula and Renfield, a patient in an insane asylum overseen by John Seward, who is compelled to consume spiders, birds, and other creatures—in ascending order of size—in order to absorb their "life force".Renfield acts as a kind of sensor, reacting to Dracula's proximity and supplying clues accordingly.