A boy and a girl meet by chance on a riverbank in Africa. One is the son of a king, struggling to find his place in the world. The other is the daughter of a craftsman from the secretive tribe of master artists. The prince, entranced, stays hidden in the bushes. The girl, knowing nothing of him but his voice, agrees to meet again. When she fails to appear the next day, he begins to search for her, tracing her at last to her village where, disguised as an apprentice, he finds a place in her father’s workshop. But their world --- though they don’t know it yet --- is ending. A strange wind has begun to blow, and in its wake, things are disappearing: songs, stories, artworks and, finally, people. Beautiful ships with white sails are glimpsed on the horizon.