Chapter Two: Bors and Vanora

"For some, the best thing is love. For others, the best thing is separation."

-Mark Twain

As the last battle of Bors ended, his feeling of relief washed over him as he breathed heavily, short and hard. His chest rose and fell over and over again, quickly at first but as he started to catch and control his breathing, it slowed until finally he walked towards Arthur who was already accompanied by Galahad, Gawain and Guinevere. Their faces showed of awe, sadness and disbelief as he approached them, his face shown of curiosity, he looked down at the ground to find Lancelot impaled with an arrow. His first reaction to seeing the bloody Lancelot was shock. He knew that Lancelot was the best fighter of Arthur's knights and if he could be killed then anyone could. Then, as that emotion of shock disappeared, it was replaced with denial, he refused that he'd lost another brother, and he hadn't even known of Tristan at that moment. Instantly, sadness and despair had enveloped him as he returned to Hadrien's Wall after the burial ceremonies of both Lancelot and Tristan.

Vanora was there with all eleven children, happy to see their lover and father okay. Though dirtied by dirt and blood, Bors began to find himself reaching a depression age and Vanora had noticed such things. When she had comforted him, he began to feel as if he'd been reborn, as if he had been revived, and Bors found himself getting over the loss of his three brothers in the end. Shortly after that Vanora and he married and they settled in a nearby town much like the one he had left fifteen years ago.

The final good-byes to Gawain and Galahad had been a moment of relief. A moment of happiness. A moment of sadness, pain and the three knights found themselves realizing that they were more family than they realized. They found themselves giving each other a knowing look as they parted from Arthur and from each other. It was a hard thing to do, say good-bye to the people who you've come to know the best. Saying good-bye to the people who has became a second family, all knights felt this emotion as they parted and went their separate ways. Bors hadn't known then what became of the two, for he knew he should never see them once more.

Arthur, on the other hand was something different. Bors only felt a remorse to his Roman commander, feelings of regret...pain...worry. But as they moved to shake hands...they paused a moment and suddenly grasped each other in an embrace, each closing their eyes, remembering the memories that they will always store of each other. Arthur smiled, it was reassuring and Bors turned fast enough so that Arthur wouldn't notice the single tear that streaked his face as he went to Vanora.

He talked with Vanora, for she seemed to understand his feelings and comforted him, for that he was grateful. As they left Hadrien's Wall, Bors looked back one more time, Arthur still there, his reassuring smile plastered on his face as the Wall sealed them away from each other forever. They decided to take all children and gave them proper names, names that they deserved. They settled in a nearby town and raised the eleven children. Bors became a farmer, something that he laughed at as he looked back on his life. It was a surprise to find that he found such comfort in such a thing, he had never thought that he would find himself doing a job like this before, and yet, it was suiting and soothing to him. Vanora became a housewife, she fed and played with the children, took care of them and her husband night and day. She found life as this hard and sometimes completely unbearable but when she saw her husband walk through the door at nighttime, she found that perhaps this is what fate had in store for her. The family of thirteen found that they were enjoying themselves and led a happy life.

At least, for about ten years.

Things in the marriage started to change as the crops began to wither and die. A drought had occurred, making it extremely difficult to raise and harvest the crops. Due to the lack of such, Bors and his family suddenly found themselves starving, without food or money. The tension of this caused immediate stress between both parents, who started to constantly fight over the smallest things. Bors neglected his duties as a father and Vanora began to wonder if it had all be worth it. The eleven children only seemed to make the matters worse, as their constant complaining and moaning sent both parents in an uproar. After two years of no rain, no water, food or money, two of the youngest children died of starvation and an illness. These deaths only caused even more tension between the lovers as they began to argue over different matters of opinions, they questions another faith, the other's morals and integrity.

After one night of a horrible fight, Vanora found herself sitting next to Bors, her eyes drying from loosing the moist of the tears. Bors was breathing hard, his breath short and quick from yelling so much. The children now saw that the fight was over, and with worried looks, they left the outside of the door and returned to bed. Vanora sighed, she knew that this marriage was not working anymore, "Bors..." her voice trailed...she knew that he could guess what she was to say next, "This marriage is not working anymore."

Bors laughed, it was mocked and insulting, but he said nothing as the room fell into silence again. He collected his thoughts, making sure to pick the right words...but in the end found nothing to say to her. Vanora waited a moment longer, waiting for Bors to speak up in defense, in agreement, in anything, but when nothing was said and the crickets began to sing, she once again sighed and spoke, "What other choice do we have?"

Again, a moment of silence and by now, Vanora was getting irritated at the silence of Bors, "Can't you say something? Do you want a divorce? I cannot know what you want! I am only human!" her voice rose in the midst of saying this and Bors turned, facing her, shaking his head. He didn't want to lose her, it was the truth, he still wished to keep the happy life that he had before with her. Harvesting the crops, playing with the children, helping Vanora with supper, the love-making session with her at nights, "No...that is something that I do not wish. We can move...move to a place that gives us more. We can do that." He nodded, as if assuring that it could be done.

Vanora only sighed, her voice and calmness returned to her, "At first, that is what I thought as well. I thought that maybe all this...tension was because of the harvest...even because of Erdic and Eroc..." they both cringed at the names of the two sons that they lost, "But...we fight about everything now. We fight about supper. We fight about our children, we fight about the crops...our views on everything has changed...we only clash now, Bors."

"You mean to leave me?" he saw the slight twitch in Vanora as he spoke this. Vanora didn't say anything for a moment, for she felt as if he had already knew the answer, and she was not ready to say it. The moment of silence again was interrupted by the sounds of crickets in the dark corners, but Vanora couldn't tell where the dark corners, for to her...it seemed as if the entire room was taken over by darkness. Bors shifted his weight, "I don't want to break up this marriage. The marriage with the woman I love. I—I'm sorry, Vanora, I'm sorry." At this, Vanora was surprised, Bors, who was so proud, so confident, so boasty, apologized to her.

Another moment of silence, though Bors wasn't all bothered by it. He'd rather think at this moment than talk and only say things that he would like to take back. Vanora didn't say anything either, her thoughts turned to what to say next, whether to accept or deny his apology. She tried as she could to remember the days that she was happy, but as she thought, sitting there, feeling lonesome and dark, only the memories that she wished to forget came to her. Her decision was then made.

She turned to Bors, "I cannot. I cannot survive another week with you. I'm sorry Bors, but we cannot." And with that she got up, crossed into the room and seemed to step into the children's room, whisper something that Bors was not able to hear and then walk out. Bors sat in the chair longer that night than he had any other night, his thoughts filled with regret, hope and sadness. He cannot stop Vanora, no matter how hard he tried to convince her, Vanora would go, and he knew that. It would be a waste of time if he tried to talk to her now, he knew that. He listened to the night, her shuffling of feet in various places of the house, the crickets now starting to sing again and the wind rustling the dry and brown grass outside. For a distinct moment, he got himself up, found Vanora in the bed, holding something. Then stuff it in her pocket as she turned to see Bors standing in the doorway. He was about to say something to her, but her face showed of emotion that made Bors stop abruptly. The face of sorrow, regret, the face that made him walk back to the chair without trying to convince his wife to stay.

His thoughts were so preoccupied that he hadn't noticed when he begun to become tired, and slowly, he began to drift asleep.

The next morning, Bors found himself alone...with half of the children still with him. He noticed that Gilly, the child that he liked the most, was left with him.

Bors and Vanora end.

ARTHOR NOTE: Well? How do you like the first two chapters? I am in the midst of doing the third chapter to so be aware, k? Galahad is coming up next! Please read review, I love reading those!