AN – Hey all! Thanks for the wonderful reviews, it really means a lot to me that you guys like my story so far. I hope you are going to enjoy the next chapter I have for you as much as the last ones. Please don't forget to review and let me know what you think.

Crazydamphirxxx

Chapter three –

I tried to ignore the pain as I turned my head towards my mentor. His body was leaning forward with his head on the steering wheel. Blood was dripping from a nasty gash on his head. Oh God, no, please don't let him be dead!

I stretched my hand out as far as the pain would let me and tugged on his leather duster to try to rouse him.

"Di..Dimitri!" I cried.

The car tilted forward as I tugged hard again on my mentor's coat. I held my breath as Dimitri opened his eyes, both of us waiting for the car to plummet off the edge of the cliff.

"Don't move" Dimitri hissed!

I tried to be brave and not cry but a single tear ran down my cheek. He held my hand and squeezed it tightly.

" I don't want to die…I'm too young"

" You're not going to die, Roza"

"What are we going to do?" I whispered back.

"Jump"

"Jump? Are you out of your mind?"

He smiled and squeezed my hand in re-assurance, his eyes told me we would be fine. Neither of us knew just how long we had on the edge of that cliff. We were perched precariously. The ground could give way at any moment. We needed to take action immediately.

Very very slowly, I moved back into my seat. My heart was pounding loudly in my chest cavity. I slowly unbuckled my seatbelt and braced myself for what was about to happen next.

I looked over at Dimitri from the corner of my eye and saw that he too had unbuckled his seat belt. He opened his door slowly and nodded to me to do the same. I reached across to the door and pressed down gently on the handle.

I tried not to think about the drop below or how I was going to jump.

"Are you ready?"

I nodded in response. I began to feel dizzy as I mistakenly leaned out a little too far in readiness for the jump. Wow! It really was a long way down. Maybe this isn't the best time to bring up that I'm terrified of heights!

"Roza?."

" Yeah, I'm ready."

" On the count of three we are going to jump, Ok?"

"Right!"

" One…Two…..Threeeeeeee"

I jumped out of the car and reached out with my arms to grab the edge of the cliff. I heard the car breaking away from where it had been perched. It hit against the cliff as it began to make its quick descent, sending pieces of rock and rubble in all directions.

I looked down and saw it hit the bottom with an almighty bang and then it exploded into flames. I gasped in shock as I held on as tightly to the rocks and began to climb slowly upwards.

" Roza? Rozaaaaaaaaa?" Dimitri yelled.

"I'm…I'm down here!"

I looked up to see Dimitri's hand stretched out to me, but I was still to far away to reach him. I slowly inched towards him trying to ignore the shooting pain in my leg. I was just in reach of his hand when I slipped and lost my footing on the ledge.

"Dimka!" I screamed.

"Hold on Rose, Hold on! I've got you." Dimka said as he caught my hand just in time and hauled me up towards him.

I fell forward straight into his arms and buried my face against his chest. I struggled for breath as I choked back the tears.

He held me close to him in a strong embrace, whispering soothing words in my ear. Memories of that terrible accident with my best friend Lissa and her family came flooding back.

I recalled the brakes screeching as we hit something hard and then the car had flipped over just like it did to day. They say I shouldn't have survived that accident – I didn't, Lissa had saved me that day but her parents and brother had not been as fortunate.

Dimitri pulled away from me and wiped the tears from my eyes with the back of his thumb.

"You're bleeding." He whispered as he pointed to my forehead.

"You are too." I replied.

Dimitri lifted me upright as I tried to put my full weight on my feet. I buckled under the pain that shot straight through my body and just as I was about to fall Dimka caught me for the second time that day.

"My leg..it hurts"

He made me sit back down as he rolled up the leg of my jeans. It was swollen and red. Dimitri checked for fractures. As he pressed down on it, I screamed out in pain.

He looked up at me with worried eyes and I'm sure he was thinking the same thoughts as me –how are we going to get out of this snow storm now that I am injured and we have no transport?

"Hmmm…., I don't think it is broken but you can't walk on it. It needs rest." He said.

"No..No I'll be fine." I replied as I tried to stand up.

"Oh, ouch"

" Roza! You are so stubborn, you know that?" he sighed.

"What about my qualifier?"

"Rose, we aren't going to make it and with your leg the way it is you may be out of action for some time"

"What?"

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm carrying you. You won't get far in this storm if I let you walk. You will risk slipping and causing further damage to your leg."

"I'm fine." I protested.

I started to yell and beat his chest " I don't want you to carry me, let me down..NOW!"

He frowned but kept walking. He tried his best to carry me until he finally had to give up and put me down. He muttered something in Russian as I sank into the snow.

I knew deep down that Dimitri was right about my leg. He was also right about me being stubborn but I was never going to admit that to him. He walked beside me but soon I fell behind again. My head and leg where both throbbing as I stumbled forward in the snow.

I paused and all of a sudden a wave of dizziness hit me. I looked up and instead of seening one Dimitri I saw three. I closed my eyes and reopened them –same thing.

"Are you ok?" I heard Dimitri speak softly.

"Which one of you said that?"

"What? He replied just as I collapsed into his arms.

I could hear the urgency in his voice as he begged me to stay awake." No, Rose don't fall asleep! You hit your head you might have a concussion."

"I'm so sleepy" I murmured.

" Don't sleep..stay awake for me, my Roza."

My eyelids felt so heavy as I fought to stay awake but it was useless and my body went limp in Dimitri's arms. The storm began to get worse as the wind whirled and blew golf ball sized hailstones against our bodies. Dimitri struggled forward growing weary with each step he took as he cradled me in his arms…

A little surprise awaits you in the next chapter!... I can't wait for you to read it. Please review and let me know if you like this chapter!