Awakened Love: A Sub-Saharan Tale of Love and War

The warm breeze of the African plains tickled her face. She enjoyed the wind, which they said was so hot it could burn a man to cinders. The words didn't scare her, nor did the heat, for she was confident in her people's greatness. They were great warriors, and though she was young, she knew that one day she would be great like them as well.

She walked with her father and mother through the village. Her father carried a gourd filled with water on his head. Her mother walked beside him, barefoot and carrying two baskets full of fruit and corn. Her eyes never left Selene, her only daughter. She had heard the stories of how men from other lands stole their women, so she made sure to watch Selene at all times.

Selene watched the women of the tribe as they went about their work. The sun shone brightly from behind a cloud as it followed them across the sky. It was going to be another beautiful day here in the middle of nowhere, where there was little else but beauty: sand dunes extending for miles in every direction; tall trees that shaded them from the sun's rays; and animals that wandered about freely without fear of being eaten by any predators. Only the hyenas scared Selene, for their laughter reminded her too much of a woman's shriek when being taken by force from behind.

A group of children played near a large fire while an old woman danced around them, clapping her hands together in rhythm. The sound rang through the air as well as their laughter, making Selene smile even more than before. She loved these people! For some reason that she couldn't quite explain to herself, they were all she could ever want or need in life. In fact, they were all she had ever known since birth - until now...

"Selene!"

Her mother's voice pulled her away from her thoughts and back into reality. She looked down at her daughter who had stopped walking and stood still on top of a hill overlooking the village. Her brow furrowed as she looked up at Selene with concern in her eyes. "What is it?" she asked anxiously. "Is something wrong?"

"No..." said Selene quietly as her eyes took in what lay before them on the horizon: A rider on horseback approached their village at a swift pace, leaving a cloud of dust behind him as he rode along what appeared to be a dirt path leading straight to their home amongst all others nearby... The rider wore a long flowing cloak that obscured his features from view - but something about him sent chills down Selene's spine nonetheless... "I... I just don't know why he is coming here!"

"Who are you talking about?!" snapped her father impatiently while putting down his gourd on top of his head so he could refocus his attention on what Selene was saying instead of looking after his precious water supply that kept him alive everyday... "We don't have time for your games right now! We have work to do! Now get back to it!"