I am running through the forest, moving swiftly around the trees which get in my path. I hear the rustling of the leaves as they move in the wind. The moss squishes between my toes. I run faster, knowing that I am almost at the spot. My father's spot.

I reach the clearing sooner than I expect. The grass is a green-brown, but I can still see patches of dark crimson where the fallen warriors lay days before. A great battle was fought here between my tribe and one just to the north. Though we won, many warriors' lives were lost that day. My father was one of them.

I slow down to a walk as I near where he fell and I fight back the tears which have appeared in my eyes. It is still so soon after the battle. I compose myself and open my eyes, staring at the spot on the ground next to the tree where my father spent his last few moments alive. I kneel on the ground place my hands on the tree trunk, closing my eyes. I can see him, my father smiling at me. My childhood, my memories I shared with my father.

"Adsila,"

My eyes shoot open at the sound of my name. I look around but see no one. Am I hearing voices?

"Adsila," the voice speaks again, more prominent this time.

I turn to look at the edge of the clearing to a grouping of trees. Could the voice have come from there? I squint and can't seem to make out a human form.

"Hello?" I ask warily to the forest.

Out of nowhere, my father appears. I gasp and my hand flies to my mouth.

"Father…" my voice trails off. I'm unable to speak.

He walks closer to me, but stops just out of my reach.

You have become a fine young woman. His voice appears in my head though his lips don't move. I open my mouth to speak, but my father holds his hand up which silences me. I reach for it slowly and when our fingers are supposed to touch, my hand goes right through his. I look up at him, my eyes wide with fear, but he simply smiles.

I love you.

The image of my father fades away slowly and I'm left on my knees staring at nothing.

"I love you too."

Tears begin to trickle down my cheeks and as I wipe them away, I hear a thunderous boom come from the edge of the clearing. Quickly, I form a crouch and flatten myself against my father's tree in search for the cause of the noise. In the small forest ahead I notice a tree has fallen over. I lean closer and squint – strange creatures run up to the tree, yelling loudly in some foreign tongue I do not understand. They do not look like my tribe. They do not look like any tribe. They are dressed in strange clothing and have pale white skin. I remember hearing Grandmother speak with some of the other elders the other day about strange white men a few of the hunters in our village saw. They sent warriors to scout them and watch closer. The warriors returned to discuss their findings, but I never heard what it was they found. These must be the men Grandmother spoke about. I know I should not go closer, but I cannot help my sense of curiosity. I begin to crawl closer through the tall grass.

The pale faces are throwing rope around the tree when I reach my hiding spot behind a large rock. There are three of them; all quite tall and muscular, but white as the clouds. I see that they are fastening the rope tightly, but once that is done they walk away from it. The pale faces disappear from my sight; I wait a minute or two before venturing out further.

Slowly, I crawl on my hands and feet to the tree and examine the rope around it. It is different from ours – this one stronger and made from a different material. I stand and walk to the other side of the tree. There are strange objects all around. One is wooden, with two circles for legs and sticks for arms. It has pieces of wood in it; trees that had been chopped down to fit. Beside it seems to be some sort of knife. I reach out and touch it gently, feeling that the sharp part for cutting is made of a cool-to-the-touch material. This too is strange. What is it?

I hear a voice behind me growing louder. They are coming back. I turn around to go hide behind the rock again, but stop in my tracks when I see one of them standing on the other side of the tree. He has light hair – almost white, but his face is young, too young to be an elder. Who are these strange people? And what are they doing here?

The pale man speaks to me in a language I do not recognize. I stare at him, but say nothing. He moves closer to me, but keeps a hand on a long thing that resembles a stick which he keeps at his side. I back up, careful not to bump into the thing holding the wood or the knife. As soon as I move he raises the stick and speaks again. I concentrate on his words he says.

"Who are you? What is your name?"

I look at him with confusion. I do not know what he is saying to me. Surely he must know that. The pale man lowers the stick to his side. It hangs onto him from a strap across his chest.

"William," he says while gesturing to his chest with his hands. He then extends his hands towards me.

I still do not know what he is trying to do.

"William," he says again and points to himself once more. "William."

I realize he is saying his name. What a strange name it is.

"Adsila," I say quietly, moving my hand to my chest.

He looks at me stunned and smiles. In the background I hear the voices of the other pale faces growing louder. My eyes flicker to where they are coming from, but I see that William is pointing away. I think he wants me to hide. William speaks again, but I do not bother paying attention to the words.

I turn and run back behind the rock. Soon after I see the other pale faces appear from behind trees. I listen in on their conversation intently.

"William! Where'd ya go, mate?" a tall, dark-haired one says.

William glances around nervously. Will he give away where I am hiding?

"No where. I just stayed here."

I wonder what they are saying. If only I could speak their language. The men's voices drop as they walk out of earshot. I stick my head out from behind the rock a bit farther to see where they are. I see no one. Crawling on my hands and feet I move slowly into the open, using the tall grass as camouflage. I spot William and the other pale faces talking near another group of trees. William is turned towards me; his face betrays my hiding spot and the dark-haired pale face turns around and yells.

"We've got ourselves another savage, boys!"

I watch as the pale faces pull their sticks up from their sides and point them towards me. I do not know what the sticks do, but the look on William's face tells me I need to leave. I run. I run like Bali and Yona and I are playing tag back when we were little. I run like my father would have the day of the battle as he charged at the enemy. I run faster than I could ever imagine because I know somehow that it is for survival.

A loud crack comes from behind me and then a rock explodes to my right. I jump and cannot figure out why the rocks are exploding, but I do not dare stop to look at it or where the sound came from. More loud cracks follow. I can hear the pale faces screaming over the noise. I am scared, but there is no one to turn to and ask what is going on. I am alone, running on the great battlefield my father bravely fought on.

"Adsila," I hear my father's voice in my head again. His face appears soon out of thin air and stays always two steps ahead of me while I run.

"Father," I greet him again, very quietly as I am short of breath.

There is another sickening crack…