These particular runes do, yes, as well as giving the blade sharper potential than most metal. [Cutting through rock like butter is just one of the many things rune blades can do.] The older the blade, the more magic collects within it, and the more potential it picks up. Some blades pick up... personalities, of sorts, and can communicate to their wielders. By this time, they've usually gathered a name and a reputation.

[Meja's haven't yet, but on the grand scale she's still fairly young for a Valkyrie.]

If we know where we're going to be fighting, sometimes we draw protections there. But unfortunately, those are... rare cases.