Synopsis: Balsa and the others think of a plan to save Chagum but the Prince wants to return to court.

Chagum has now calmed down and falls asleep. Balsa leaves him to rest and wonders what to do next.

Torogai is still with the village chief. He says that it’s unexpected for the Second Prince to become a Nyunga Ro Chaga (He must have been told of everything). He offers the village’s protection for Chagum until spring but Torogai tells him that there are reasons they cannot accept his offer.

The girl who told the story of the previous Nyunga Ro Chaga is worried that she did a horrible thing to the Prince. Tanda tells her it’s not her fault. Balsa comes in and tells the others that Chagum is sleeping. She then asks Nimka, the girl, if she knows anything more. Balsa explains that they knew that the Egg-eater is coming but they didn’t tell Chagum about it because they were hoping to find a way to repel the Egg-eater first. Balsa asks what Nimka meant when she said that the La Lunga cannot be seen nor touched. Nimka says she doesn’t know but her grandmother told her that the Egg-eater was visible when it tore the Nyunga Ro Chaga apart. Large claws could be seen coming out of the ground.

Torogai asks Nimka if her grandmother told her something else, such as what the Egg-eater dislikes. Nimka shakes her head. Torogai says that if there was something, they could have tried it a hundred years ago. Nimka apologizes that she bears bad news but her grandmother told her that the Nyunga Ro Chaga is destined to be devoured by the Egg-eater.

Tanda, comments that if the egg had also been eaten, they would not be blessed with water. That would mean that the egg did hatch safely a hundred years ago, so the Nyunga Ro Chaga should have also been safe. Ninka says that she thinks the egg can only be deposited in Sagu when the Nyunga Ro Chaga is torn apart by the La Lunga. She explains that the Nyunga Ro Im is a spirit born in the seas of Sagu. It swims upstream and lives deep underwater in Nayug. Torogai adds that perhaps the La Lunga is a way of maintaining the balance between Sagu and Nayug.

Torogai wonders how the egg travels from Aoyumi to the sea. She wonders if it goes down the river by itself. Nimka says that according to the rice planting song, the nahji carries the egg in its beak and takes it out to sea. Tanda asks if it is the one that goes, “Fly, fly, nahji”. Ninmka says it is. She says that the third stanza is “Go, go, nahji. Go with the egg and fly far above the claws.” Tanda didn’t know that it had a line like that. Torogai says that it’s a stanza that isn’t sung much in Yogo farming villages because it’s kind of lowbrow. Torogai remembers that she sang it before. Tanda then states that the line “If you fly to the sea, rain will fall and rice will grow” is actually the fourth stanza. He says that if you string it together, one could interpret it as saying the nahji saves the Nyunga Ro Im’s egg from the Egg-eater’s claws and carries it to sea. Then, the egg becomes a spirit bringing rain.

Torogai then says that they have a bigger problem: the nahji. She asks Balsa and Tanda about the last time they saw a nahji. Tanda recounts that when he was little, he used to see a flock of nahji that filled the sky as they migrated but he hasn’t seen any lately. The village chief adds that ever since the Yogo people began forging steel, the bird has become rarer. Torogai says that the bones, used as talismans against evil spirits, are also considered rare. At this rate, they may be unable to deliver the water spirit safely to sea, even protect Chagum. Torogai states that it seems they’ve lost more than customs and legends over the past hundred years.

Meanwhile, the warriors and Shuga are now close to Toumi. According to one of them, they should be able to reach it before noon of the following day. Mon tells Jin to go ahead to Toumi and scout the village. He also tells Taga and Sun to accompany Jin.

Back to the village, Tanda tells Balsa she can’t fight something invisible. And then there’s also that possibility that Chagum has to be killed to deposit the egg in Sagu. He suggests that they go somewhere far away but Balsa says they can’t. Even if they run away, they cannot escape Chagum’s fate, not unless they find a way to save him. Balsa asks Torogai if there is something they can do. She says she doesn’t know. Tanda says that they still have time before spring arrives. He says that if they are being pursued by people from the court, the village isn’t safe. Torogai suggests that they go to the Hunter’s Cave. Balsa agrees.

Nimka goes to the hut where Chagum is staying. She apologizes to Chagum for what she said earlier. Chagum tells her it’s alright. If she hadn’t told him the story, he would remain ignorant. Chagum tells Nimka that he has decided to return to the capital alone. He says that the egg only brought him horrible experiences. Chagum cannot stand it anymore. Nimka tells Chagum that she will take him. She tells Chagum that it is natural for him to be scared.

Jin and the others arrive at the village entance. Taga (or Sun) asks whether they will infiltrate. Jin says they will wait until sunrise when people start to work the fields. They will ask the villagers then.

Shuga arrives at where Mon is waiting. Mon tells Shuga that Jin has gone ahead. He also tells the star diviner to get some rest for they will depart at dawn.

Morning has come and Balsa goes to check Chagum. A woman (probably Ninmka’s mother) asks Balsa if Nimka is still with her. Balsa tells her that she thought Nimka went to the village chief’s hut. The woman tells Balsa that she couldn’t find Nimka and her bed looked as if it hadn’t been slept in. Balsa quickly goes inside that hut where Chagum stayed and discovers that Chagum, too, is gone. Balsa goes to look for Chagum.

Nimka is taking Chagum to a shortcut known only to Toumi villagers. She tells him that if he follows the path, he can reach the Yashiro Village are in two days.

Tanda apologizes to the village chief and Nimka’s parents that they did not notice Nimka and Chagum leave. The village chief says that Nimka knows the area around the village so it wouldn’t be a problem for her. Torogai comes and asks if they knew where Chagum and Nimka went. Tanda says that someone heard dogs barking at dawn so they must have left at that time. Torogai tells them that since Balsa’s looking for them, they will be found in no time.

Outside the village, one of the warriors asks a villager on his way to work if he knows anything about a foreign woman and a Yogo boy visiting the village. The farmer tells him that they’re staying with the village elder. The warrior asks if there’s anyone with them. The farmer replies that there was a Yakue man and an old woman but they were talking about leaving the village so they may have left already. The warrior whistles and Shuga and the other warriors appear.

Balsa, meanwhile, catches up with Nimka and Chagum. She tells Chagum that they are going back but Chagum refuses. He asks why Balsa didn’t tell him about the Egg-eater. Balsa explains that they weren’t sure then and they didn’t want him to worry. Chagum does not believe Balsa. He says Balsa cares more about the egg than him. Balsa tells him that he is wrong, both he and the egg must be protected. Chagum tells Balsa that she can stop worrying about him. He tells her that he is going back to court. He says that since Balsa is not his mother, she wouldn’t understand.

Balsa hands her spear to Chagum. She tells him that if Chagum insists on going back, he must defeat her first. Chagum picks up the spear and points it at Balsa. Chagum tells her that no matter how strong she is, she can’t protect him from the giant claws. He says that he is going back to court where his mother and Shuga can protect him. Chagum charges but Balsa holds the spear. She slaps Chagum and asks him how he can run off on his own when everyone is trying so hard to protect him. Balsa tells him that she will protect him no matter what. She embraces Chagum and tells him that she won’t let him die.

The warriors arrive at the village. Shuga asks for the village elder. They tell the villagers that they have come to take the Second Prince.

Torogai, Tanda and the village chief are discussing how to get to the Hunter’s Cave. Nimka’s mother comes in and tells the village chief of the warriors. She tells him that they have come to take the Prince. The village chief goes to meet the warriors. He tells Tanda and Torogai to stay hidden.

Shuga asks the village chief to bring the Prince. The village chief tells him he can’t. He says that though the boy is important because he is the Prince, he is also important to the Yakue for he is the Guardian of the Sacred Spirit. He tells Shuga and the warriors that if the egg Chagum bears does not hatch, the land will never be blessed with water again. Shuga tells the village chief that they know about it as well. He says that they have no intention of harming the Prince, rather they will take him back so he can be protected. The village chief tells Shuga that the Yakue has been protecting the Nyunga Ro Chaga by themselves for generations. Mon steps forward and says that if he does not hand the Prince over, the village will disappear from the maps. The village chief replies that it is rather violent of them (I like his reaction despite the threat the village faces).

Mon calls out to Balsa. He says that he will do everything in his power to defeat her. He tells Balsa to show herself.

Torogai appears and calls out to the warriors. She tells the warriors that Balsa is no longer in the village.

This was a great episode, once again, containing more revelations. The part about the nahji was interesting. In the previous episodes, we learned that Chagum and Sagum injured a bird. They took care of it and when Sagum was dying, he set the bird free. The bird seems to be the nahji that Nimka and the others were talking about. Could Chagum keeping the bird be a foreshadowing of things to come?

Also, Chagum shines in this episode. Though he is entrusted with a great task of keeping the water spirit’s egg, in the end, he is only a child. The burden becomes too much for him to bear that is why Balsa wants to carry that burden for him. Her confrontation with Chagum was filled with raw emotions. I say it was beautiful.