:( *coughs on months' old dust*

Well I read it after I joined the forum when I read all other funfic... But, still, it is great

:runs finger through dust: Well, now I've done a chapter of Bovices I'll be working on the next chapter of this.

Thank you! :D

Can't wait :D

Ok, So it took alittle longer then I thought it would :innocent: Chapter 9. Akkarin paced the cave, nerves bubbling through him. Every few seconds he would glance at Sonea, checking if she had awoken. Despite the turmoil in his mind the sight of her resting so peacefully give him a sense of peace. That was until reality reared its ugly head again. After he had sent Yilana away his head had seemed clearer. It had allowed him to think through and debate, all the options and what to do. He had finally come to a decision about Tarin’s offer. Not a certain decision, but it was a decision. First, however, was the most difficult part; begging for forgiveness. He had spent hours phrasing and rephrasing what he was gong to say to her, only to decide it was stupid or useless, scrap it, and start all over again. It was almost like a novice asking a girl to the races for the first time, under different circumstances he would have found it funny. Looking to the mouth of the cave he realised that the sun would be up in soon. She had slept well and for a long time, not that it was that surprising, but she must be rising soon. The thought brought a twist of anxiety; he still had no idea what he wanted to say to her. No, he amended, he knew what he wanted to say to her, just not how to say it. After all, how does one apologize for tearing apart someone’s heart. There was a small noise from the other side of the cave and Akkarin quickly turned. Sonea was waking up. Nerves clenched at his stomach as he forced himself to Sonea’s side and the confrontation. Crouching down beside her, he watched as Sonea rolled onto her back before allowing her eyes to flutter open. In a matter of seconds, Akkarin watched her expression change several times as she remember what had happened and realised she was now laying in a cave with a warm cloaked wrapped around her. Her gaze was confused as she looked round the cave, until her gaze rested on Akkarin. For a moment she looked happy and relieved, but then she quickly tries to cover with a hardened expression, leaving him wondering if it was just a hopeful wish. With a forced sense of calm Sonea sat up, moving slightly further away from Akkarin as she did so. Suppressing a sigh, Akkarin sat down a few paces away from her, leaning his back against the wall. He opened his mouth to start, but, realising he couldn’t remember what to say, he closed it again. An awkward silence stretched between the two of them. Akkarin tried to dig around his mind for any of the little speeches he had created of over the course of the night, but found they all slipped out of his grasp just as he found them. “I assume you rescued me,” Sonea said, as the silence reached an unbearable point. “Yes,” was all he managed to say. There was another short pause before she said, “Thank you.” This gave him a boast of courage. At least that was a good start, better then her just ignoring him. Moving closer to her he prepared to plunge into the fire. “Sonea, what happened yesterday-” “Forget it,” Sonea said, turning her face away from him, but he could hear the hurt in her voice. Knowing it would be worse by pushing the subject he decided to take a slightly different tact. “I sent Yilana away.” Sonea turned her head back slightly, looking at him from the corner of her eye, “Why?” she asked cautiously. “Because I love you,” Sonea turned her face away again, before he could read her expression. “Sonea, look at me,” he reached out and tried to gently turn her back to him. She didn’t respond to his gentle prompt, and not wanting to hurt her he let his hand slid away. Instead he chose to move to crouch in front of her, but then she merely looked down, letting her hair fall around her face. “It was a mistake, the worst I’ll ever make in my life. It was stupid and selfish, but having her back, and so close, for a couple of minutes it was too much. In that time, all my memories of her overwhelmed me and all I could remember was her. What I did was inexcusable and unforgivable, but when I think about what I did to you; it tears me to pieces. Thinking about what that Ichani might have done to you scares me more then anything else possibly could. All I can think now is my hope that you still care about me and that you’ll let me make up for my stupidity. I can only hope that your refusal to help the Ichani is a sign of this.” There was silence in the cave, again, as Akkarin finished, his eyes pleading. Sonea remained silent, and Akkarin wondered what was running through her mind. He’d half expected her to leap up and start screaming insults and hatred at him, but then, he reasoned, that wasn’t Sonea. He’d never heard her scream and lose her temper when she was angry. No, that wasn’t his Sonea. It was odd really; what he found slightly irritating about Yilana, he found endearing about Sonea. Perhaps because he knew that, more then anything, it acceptance was something that had been conditioned into Yilana. It was a reminder of her slavery, of his slavery. “You still love her,” Sonea said, not really asking. “Yes, but I can’t live without you.” He meant every word. Sonea finally looked up at him, but still, she said nothing more. She was searching his face, his eyes. He began to wish that he had been more passionate, his apology and explanation now seemed pathetic. He wished he had said more, spinning beautiful loved filled words that left Sonea with little option left but to forgive her. That would cause Sonea to fall in love with him all over again. He had been so much better at this in his youth, when it was all just a game, but those times where long past, he had grown. He’d spend so much time hiding away his feelings, and denying himself of this love, leaving behind the need for such words, until now, when only clumsily inadequate words came to him. Finally, eyes watering, Sonea spoke in a shaky voice. “I love you, but I don’t trust you.” Akkarin’s heart clenched painfully. He knew she won’t just let it all slip by, let bygones be bygones, just because he said he loved her, but her first words had given him a false. He knew what she had meant; if she couldn’t trust him, she couldn’t be his lover. “I can’t trust that want you say is true, and that you won’t forget about me next time you see someone else attractive. I can’t live in a relationship where I’m worried you’ll just leave me, and I can’t just simply carry on as if none of this had happened.” By the end her voice was thick with emotion. With effort Akkarin contained and controlled him self, after all; she was right. Not that it made any of this any easier. “I suppose I’ll just have earn back your trust.” “I don’t think you can,” Sonea replied doubtfully. Akkarin gave her his half smile, “We’ll just have to wait and see about that then.” The lapsed into silence again, but this time it lacked some of the tension from earlier, the air seemed clearer between the two of them, through it wasn’t exactly what one would call a comfortable silence. At least they both knew were they now stood with one another. It hadn’t gone wonderfully, but it could have been a lot worse, a lot worse. She had admitted that she loved him, and he could build on that. As long as she still loved him, he knew he could win her back. All he had to do was prove to her that she could still trust him, which admittedly was far easier said then done. Especially when he thought of the second subject he needed to speak to Sonea about. If Sonea wasn’t prepared to forgive him then he was going to insist that she stayed with Tarin. Partly because he didn’t think he could stand to travel with her if she hated him, partly because if all else failed, he needed to know she was safe. Now he found himself falter. It wasn’t quite that simple anymore. Her answer hadn’t filled him with dread, as he had expected, but a sense of strange hope. If she stayed here then he couldn’t mend his ways, but then it would be harder to mend his ways if she was dead; which was an almost certainly if she came with him. He now had a glimmer of how deeply it would affect him if she died. If he died without her forgiveness then at least he wouldn’t have to live with it, but if anything else happened to her because he decided to bring along…. “What is it?” Akkarin was jerked out of his thoughts at Sonea’s query. She was watching him curiously. Looking at her, his mind seemed to decide for itself, no longer feeling the need to over long, tedious debates. He needed her to live, but he didn’t have to right to make her stay. It wouldn’t stop him from trying through. “Tarin wants us to stay in Sachaka, where it safe…safer anyway.” Sonea gave him a look that told him exactly what she thought of that plan. Bracing himself Akkarin continued, “I think you should stay with him.” Sonea’s expression darkened, anger tainted her voice when she spoke, “No! Imardin is as much my home as it yours. I have as much right as you do to defend it. I came to help you save it, not to hide away.” “Even if the Guild calls me back, there is only so much I can do against several Ichani.” “Even more reason for me to come. The two of us stand a better chance then only one of us.” “Not if I have to constantly look out for you,” he said, giving her a direct look, trying to put her off. She meet his gaze with cold anger, “That didn’t work before; it’s not going to work now. I won’t be scared off by cold remakes and stares.” Akkarin looked away briefly, breaking the eye contact, and sighed. “Sonea, I’m not going to win,” He said more gently, “I don’t want to bring you into that. If you…” Akkarin swallowed against the lump in his throat, the image of Sonea lying dead all to clear in his mind’s eye. “”I know how much it would destroy me. I couldn’t live with that.” He looked at her imploringly. For a moment her gaze wavered, but it soon hardened again. “This shouldn’t be about what you or I want, but what the Guild needs.” “You can’t help if you’re dead.” “Neither can you. How can I succeed where you failed? If we both go together then we stand a far better chance.” She crossed her arms in stubborn defiance. “I’m going with you, whether you like it or not. "Besides," she added more slyly, “How can you win my trust back if I’m not there?” Akkarin mentally shook his head with a mixture of exasperation and admiration. How did she always know what to say to change his mind? He didn’t seem to be very good at winning these arguments against her. Part of him filled with unease at her decision, while another part was filled with perverse happiness. He had no idea which he should be feeling; happy or sad. Finally he settled on saying; “I can’t make you stay. I just hope that I don’t regret it.” Sonea gave him a ghost of a smile, “So do I.” End of Chapter 9. There you go, you finally have an update. I just hope it was worth the wait. I’m not actually sure where to go from here, but it’s tempting to make the next chapter the last one.

Aaah, Jmerc - this is wonderful. Moving once again and you have their relationship perfectly matched to the books'. Very impressive and very entertaining to read. Glad that there will be at least one more chapter. Don't mind to wait for something this good!

Now I think he's a little melodramatic, but you've written Sonea really well. I like that you have her stick to her decisions.

Glad to see an update, and a longer-than-usual one, too :) I agree with Raven, Sonea is characterized so well in this! Can't wait for the next installment :D

I have only one word J. Brilliant.

A/N: *hides from annoyed readers* Yes, it’s been awhile, but what matters is that I updated...right....right? Shit I didn't realise it'd been over a year! Chapter 10 Sonea hugged her knees on Akkarin’s bed. The ex-highlord wasn’t present, but she needed to talk to him. It had been a week now, a week since the events with Yilana and things between them had been.... strange. Their journey to Imardin had been rather awkward at times, especially at first. Akkarin had never pushed her though, he merely worked on bridging the gap that had formed between them. If anything good had come out of this, it would be that Akkarin had opened up to her in a bid to show trust. After a narrow escape from a female Ichani they’d entered Krylia the following evening, sleeping under the shade of the forest. She had awoken the next day to find Dorrien crouching beside her, shooting Akkarin, who slept a few feet away, suspicious glances. Dorrien had insisited on talking to Sonea privately while his men watched her companion. He seemed convinced that the ex-highlord had somehow tricked her, or forced her into exile along with him. She tried to explain otherwise, but she could tell he didn’t believe her. That was until they saw the events at the fort. Afterwards the three quickly travelled to Imardin. So why was she on Akkarin’s bed? They hadn’t reconciled yet. It was because of Rothen. She forced down the lump in her throat. A few hours before, she had overheard news telling her of Rothen’s death. Akkarin had comforted her, and as she was wrapped in her arms she began to realise that she could forgive Akkarin. She had spent the last hour thinking about this, until finally coming to a conclusion. Unfortunately when she had come to Akkarin’s room to talk to him he wasn’t there. Which was why she was sitting on his bed now, waiting for him to return. Losing Rothen made her realise that she didn’t want to lose someone else she loved, and she did love Akkarin, she now doubted that anything could change that. She wasn’t saying that she trusted him completely, or that she wanted to marry him, just that she was ready to give him another chance. She didn’t want to lose anyone else. She didn’t want to lose him again. The door opened, and she quickly got to her feet. Akkarin was mid-door close when he spotted her. He paused obviously surprised and she couldn’t help but feel slightly smug at the reaction. He quickly closed the door before addressing her. “Sonea, what are you doing here?” Taking a deep breathe, she stepped towards him. “I don’t want to lose someone else.” Akkarin’s face softened and he came to stand directly in front of her, waiting for her to continue. “I love you, I know that and I don’t want you to die without you knowing I’ve forgiven you.” She felt his hand on her cheek, softly cupping it. “You don’t have to say this, not for me, not because of the situation.” Sonea shook her head. “I want to. Losing Rothen made me realise that I can forgive you. I’m not saying that everything will go back to how they were before Yilana. You still need to help me trust you, but if we survive this, I’m willing to give us a second chance.” “Are you sure this is what you want.” “Yes.” Akkarin smiled and started to draw her towards him. When she didn’t resist he gently held her. Awkwardness nibbled at her, but she pushed it aside, it felt nice to be held by Akkarin, and not because of grief. “Thank you.” Sonea didn’t answer, simply closing her eyes, and made herself relax in the embrace. Yes, she could forgive Akkarin. End of Ghost of the Past Well, there’s the end. I hope I managed to get them both in character, but it’s been a while since I’ve read the books. It’s up to you whether or not Akkarin dies at the end, through I know how it goes in my head :D I hope you’ve enjoyed the fic, and thank you very much to everyone whose read it, and even more thanks to those who fav’ed/watched it on FF.net and/or took the time to review.

it's over =( I've really enjoyed this fic -- it's great and you do a convincing job of both Sonea and Akkarin, although somes they are a little off but not enough to spoil the fic. thanks for such a great fic =)

So you did the impossible and finished your fic. Fantastic, I'm impressed. I liked the story and it's a fitting "ending".

Yes, the impossible was achieved :D I'm glad you guys liked the ending.

I thought it ended nicely. In hindsight, I think your Akkarin might have come off as a bit too soft and emotional. But I still really enjoyed reading it, and the ending fits Sonea's character particularly well.