I was fiddling around with the new items on gaia, and mixing them up with old Donation Items when I hit upon a combination that made me not only want to put it in the avatar arena, but write a story about it!

So here it is.

Long ago, there lived a holy warrior who had brought many accolades and honor to his king; his deeds remembered in songs that are now forgotten. But his final act of kindness earned him a place with the angels and a place in ledged.
After his service to his king had ended and his laurels were granted, the warrior set off into a great and sunny forest to make his home where he would seek a peaceful retirement. He traveled for many days into the heart of the forest until he came to a fine and bright glen that would be perfect to build his home. Opening his sack he pulled out the tools he would need to build his cottage and set them before him. First he used a handsythe to clear the grasses that had over grown the glen, and he set the grasses aside for he would use them to make his house's roof. Then he used a rake to clear a spot of grass completely so that his cottage would have a dirt floor.
What he required now was timbers to build the walls of his house, so, taking an axe, he set off in to the forest once more to find suitable trees to fell. After many hours he found a large oak tree that was tall and straight. It would be perfect for making lumber. For three hours the warrior chop chop chopped away at the tree until with a loud crash it came tumbling down to the forest floor.
It was while the warrior was clearing the trunk of the tree of limbs, that he made a discovery that saddened him greatly; for you see, the tree was home to two nesting doves, and had found their nest- the eggs inside ruined. He shed a tear as he realized that he had destroyed their home in order to make his. Presently, the doves returned to their wrecked home and saw the warrior weeping. Thinking that he wept for the loss of their home as they were about to they asked him why he wept so.
"It was I that destroyed your home!" he lamented "But I did not realize what I had done until I set about clearing the tree."
The doves were angry at the warrior for destroying their home, but also saw how great his remorse was to this act.
"How can I ever repay you for this deed!?" Lamented the warrior further. The Doves did not know, and so they too wept. The warrior exhausted his tears, but then thought of a way.
"I have caused you to loose your home, and ruined your clutch." The warrior said. "For this, there is no way to repay you. But I can endeavor to make it right. So from hence forth, every spring until I no longer draw breath, I shall stand in this spot and you may make your nest upon my head."
The doves agreed that this would be a equitable arrangement, and to remind him of their pact, they each places a feather in his hair and with their little beaks tied the feathers fast. They then left the warrior to his ill gotten tree.
After many weeks of work the cottage was finished, but the warrior never forgot his agreement. Through the summer and into the harvest he always kept it upon his thoughts, And over the long cold winter as he set by his fire, his remorse never waned.
Finally spring arrived and even as the first wild flowers yawned into life, he had set out to the site of the fallen tree from which he had made his home. And so he got up onto the stump and simply stood there. For three days he waited, and finally the doves returned.
"I am true to my word." Said the warrior to the doves, "Build your home."
The doves began work immediately and made a fine nest in his hair. They brought him water in little cups made from half a walnut shell, and brought him berries to eat so the he would neither thirst nor hunger. In return for this kindness, he warded away the fox, and the crow, so that the doves could raise their brood in peace. This lasted until the chicks were hatched and fledged. During the time he had grown close to the doves and they to him, so that when they finally released him from their service for the year he wept.
"Why do you weep?" Sang of of the doves, "Are you not glad that you may return to your home?"
"I weep for our parting." He replied, "I weep for I must wait another year to enter your service, and your friendship."
"We too feel sadness," Sang the doves, "We enjoyed our time together and you made a fine home." And with that the doves flew of into the sky.
So it was for many more years, and every year the warrior was saddened to leave. Then one year the warrior died of a chill during a particularly cold and blustery winter. When he arrived at the pearly gates, The angel greeted him and he wept yet again, for this time he would never see his friends the doves again. The angel consoled him:
"Weep not, for your service to your king and your service to the doves your once wronged has earned you a place in the heavens beside the angels, is this not enough?"
"It would seem to be the pits of Hades," cried the warrior, "if I could not see my friends the doves ever again, such would be the pain I would feel in my heart."
"If it is your hearts desire to be with your friends then we shall make it so." The angel decreed, "Thus, every year from hence forth until the end of time, we shall make you half mortal, so that you may return to earth and continue your oath of service. While there you shall feel neither thirst nor hunger. Now come, the heavenly court awaits it's newest and most charitable archangel!"

THE END

Hey, not bad, Staffy.

I was thinking that seems like that kind of story that I might want to use to tell to my future children (edit: originally forgot the to insert "children") as I tuck him or her in at night. ... It would be better than having to recite the same old stupid stuff like "The Three Pigs" or "Goldilocks and the Bears" or something, anyway.

Yeah i got that same feeling as i wrote it. XD

hahaha

man, that was pretty cool ^^

it had a real fable feel to it.

OMG, Grampa Staffy... tell another one!

heh, grampa staffy ^___^ very fable indeed.

lots of weeping though. eesh. i was almost thinking the end would be where everyone drowned anyway. =P

I agree with the fable feel ^^
But I couldn't help but notice, how long do doves live? I guess the man kept serving the dove family, not the doves themselves...
And I liked the 'how to build your house' part

(Sorry, I'm perfeccionist )

Fables always have morals, and Myths always try to explain natural events. I'v been thinking that I should add on to the end so that it falls mor into the latter category.

heh, iunno.

personally, i think i'd prefer it as a fable ^^

Agreed. I don't see which natural event this tale would try to explain as a myth...

*waits impaitently for another one*

^*is not getting one*

But....



...



Oh well, good job on the ONLY ONE you did. I mean seeing as it's the ONLY ONE, I'm glad you did well on it. It would have been said that if the ONLY ONE you did ended up sucking... like a story about raping robots.