As two of our protagonists exchange knowledge, they find themselves forming a mutual bond that resembles friendship. But our Wahan heroine Tanya isn't quite looking for friendship — she's looking for the closest weapon she can find to empower herself. While Tanya slowly learns more about the world around her, others seem to be learning more about her — that she's a force to be reckoned with in ways that she has yet to realize.
EPISODE 9 RECAP
Tanya decides to choose Saya as her closest stone, her first weapon to fight her oppressors, and she kneels in front of Saya to beg for forgiveness. She calls him "owner," and Saya asks the reason for her sudden change of heart. Tanya explains that she wants to live and says that Saya will need her.
Echoing Taealha's words, Saya asks if Tanya knows what he wants and fears. Tanya accurately answers that Saya wants freedom and fears confinement and surveillance. She reveals that Taealha ordered her to spy on Saya, but she offers to report whatever Saya wants. Saya warns her Taealha could kill her for this, but Tanya is certain that she won't die. She says, "I'm not Saenarae."
Saya's smile drops, and he looks flustered. The image of Eunseom flashes through his mind, and he reminds Tanya that he's not her dead friend. He warns her not to look at him with her pleading eyes again. After slamming the door, Saya feels his racing heart and seems confused by his reaction.
The slave traders set up a base camp for the night, and one of the slaves speaks in a foreign tongue to ask for food and water. Teodae translates, and slave trader Syoreujagin approaches Eunseom. He tells Eunseom to announce that he's an Igutu son of a dirty human and a monster Neanthal. When Eunseom doesn't repeat the phrase, Syoreujagin has him beaten unconscious.
Then, Syoreujagin pulls Teodae in front of the slaves to translate that the Igutu are even more lowly beings than dujumsaeng. He pours water from his jug and says that words flow down from above, just like water; therefore, the lowly dujumsaeng cannot request water from someone above them.
Syoreujagin taunts them even further by insisting that they announce themselves as dujumsaeng — animals that walk on two feet but cannot fly, equivalent to chicken. He makes it clear that they are animals and that he's a human. Ironic.
Teodae translates the order from Syoreujagin to call themselves dujumsaeng, and when the slaves fail to do so, Syreujagin refuses to give them any water. He laughs about how long they'll last without water, and the rest of the slave traders sing as they sprinkle water in glee. The slaves are whipped as they continue their journey, and Eunseom weakly gets pulled by a horse.
With a new resolve, Tanya does her chores and enters Saya's room to clean the mirror. She notices the birds outside the window and how Saya looks at them longingly. She remembers Eunseom saying that in his dream, he detested the birds because they were free while he was confined. In his dream, he wanted to catch these birds, but he couldn't. Remembering this, Tanya offers to catch the bird for Saya.
Tanya takes Saya outside to the treehouse and puts together sling to shoot at birds with stones. She whistles the bird song to lure the bird to them, and then swings the sling around until she releases to shoot down the bird. Saya looks fascinated by the contraption and Tanya's successful hunt.
Once they find the bird, Tanya thanks the gods for the sacrifice and explains to Saya that the bird sacrificed itself to nurture them. Saya look confused by this notion. Then, Tanya offers to teach Saya how to use the slingshot.
Saya fumbles through his first few tries, losing the stone and smacking himself, but he quickly learns how to hit his target. He gets so enthralled that he keeps asking for more stones, and his excitement makes Tanya laugh.
