HEY! I'm back!
Holy Thor, my trip was SOOOO much fun! I did everything a real Alaskan badass does. I got to run traplines, ice fish, hunt moose, trek through three-foot deep snow, fire twenty rounds of rifle bullets into targets, drive on ice roads, sleep on a couch where the dog thinks you are a new pillow, chop wood, build cool shit, and blast across the Yukon River on a snowmachine at almost 60mph! It was AWESOME!

However, I did NOT get an albino bull moose with 60 inch antlers. I may be a hunter now, but I'm no Henry Haddock. LOL. I just got two, normal, 'nothing special about them' brown moose, and then spent three days with my arms elbows deep in meat cutting it all up to ship out. Enough chow to feed my giant family for at least a year, and that's not good, because I may not need to go back again! Boo hoo! :(

I could go on and on about that SO COOL trip, but I will spare you the time and post this a little sooner instead. You're welcome. And I'm afraid to say now that updates will be slower in general. I am in the process of playing both HS baseball AND track, and apparently that means I spend five hours a day working my ass off and being really tired. (I'm running my first 800 meter tomorrow, so wish me luck). With school, that doesn't leave much time for writing, but I will keep at it and do my best, or my pal Odael will mock me relentlessly for not sticking to it. I can already hear him jeering and laughing. Yes, Odael, that is YOU. :)

And Happy Late Saint Patrick's Day, all you readers! I'm Irish, too, so you all have to kiss me. LOL.

Oh, yeah, and one more thing I want to clear up before I continue. Some of you(I won't mention names) have accused me of lying in Chapter eight's AN when I said that Henry/Hiccup and Astrid would meet in Chapter nine. Well, I would like to point out to you all that I did NOT lie. According to the dictionary, 'meet' means 'come into the presence or company of (someone) by chance or arrangement.' What happened in Chapter nine certainly qualifies, so you my honesty remains intact – for now. I just wanted to point that out to you all to justify that last cliffhanger I gave you.

And… ONE more thing. First off, I applaud all you readers/reviewers who noticed the small detail that was the poster saying 'Bring Your Pet to School Day.' It's good to see I have attentive readers. :) Anyway, I am just announcing now that this event WILL be written about and it will be awesome!

Hope you enjoy, as always, and I have replied to the reviews below again to save space. From now on I will try to answer you personally, since you deserve a lot more time than I give you. Thanks so much for the support so far, it's been absolutely terrific.

Here you go! Chapter ten in all its NatB glory. Read on!

There was a moment of stunned silence as both Astrid and the boy stared. Then the green eyed boy straightened up in recognition.

"Hey, I know you," he grinned. "If it isn't Blondie."

Astrid's mouth parted.

"No – way," she laughed. "It's – it's Mr. Smartass."

"In the flesh." The green-eyed boy laughed. "Wow. I never would have guessed I'd see you around again Milady – Astrid."

"Hey!" Astrid was indignant. "How do you know my name?"

"Well, you signed a statement a few months ago saying I was a hero," the boy laughed. "Signing something usually means writing down your name. Usually. Not always." His voice was dripping with playful sarcasm.

"Still a joker and a smartass, huh?" Astrid sighed. "But I thought you were telling the truth when you said you had never been to school. Don't tell me you were joking about that, too."

"I'm surprised you even remembered the conversation we had, Milady," the boy grinned. "I thought a running superstar like you would have forgotten all about a loner like me."

"Well, when someone points a rifle at my chest, I tend to remember that," Astrid grinned. The boy laughed, his green eyes twinkling.

"I see you're picking up some of my sarcastic humor, Milady."

"Oh no."

"Be proud of yourself." The boy was grinning wide, and he winced as his split lip strained, but he ignored it. "Not many people can sound as awesome as me with sarcasm," he went on jokingly. "You're not AS good yet, Milady, but you're close."

Astrid shook her head, and pointed at his bloody lip.

"So, what is a lone ranger like you doing in the middle of Anchorage?" She asked. "Besides getting into fights, of course." She gestured to his face.

The boy looked embarrassed. He plowed a hand through his shaggy hair, which appeared to have been uncut since Astrid's last encounter with him.

"Hey, I'm just a fighter by nature," he said. "Being in the wild for so long makes you look at people as more of a threat than they really are. When that jerk picked on that poor kid back there, I had to do something; even if it meant kicking his ass. He's at the nurse's office now."

Astrid laughed. "It looks like you do a lot of fighting, Smartass. That scar on your chin wasn't there when I last saw you, and that was only a few months ago."

"Oh. Yeah." The boy reached up and touched his chin, realizing for the first time that a thin line of blood was dripping down it. He wiped it away with the back of his sleeve. "Well, that scar was a painful reminder that getting into a fight with a bear is never a good idea."

"You fought a BEAR?" Astrid was shocked.

"Hey, I'm a hunter, Milady," the boy laughed. "Fighting bears is part of the job; sometimes, at least."

"I am really afraid to ask how you got so close to a bear to get a swipe across the chin," Astrid said. "You told me way back when that you should never walk around in the woods without a gun or something. Why didn't you shoot it?"

"What if I wasn't in the woods when it happened, though?" the boy teased.

"So the bear attacked you in the supermarket?" Astrid chuckled.

The boy nodded sadly. "That damn thing jumped right out of the Kung Fu Panda billboard and took a hack at me."

Astrid roared with laughter, slapping her knees. "OK, that was funny! Kung Fu Panda and his brutal savagery. Ha ha!" She laughed again.

"Well, all joking aside," the boy grinned, "I did have a gun and it was NOT in the supermarket. I put eleven rounds in the thing, but it didn't die, and just came at me and broke my gun, almost killed me, and knocked me into a river before chasing me for two miles."

Astrid laughed. "You're joking again."

The boy shook his head. "Actually, that was all completely true. I almost died of hypothermia and mauling, too, so don't laugh."

Astrid stared. "I really, REALLY don't know if I should believe you or not."

The boy laughed. "Well, it was true."

"Well, Smartass, whether it was true or not, you're here, in Anchorage, and at school. How did you ever manage to get up here?"

The boy laughed. "Now THAT'S a story you'll never believe."

"Try me." Astrid leaned back with a smile. The boy sighed.

"Well, the long and short is that I earned five million dollars and now I can do whatever the hell I want."

Astrid gawked. "No way."

"Told you you wouldn't believe it." The boy was smug. "But come on? How else does an orphan in the Alaska wilderness manage to move to Anchorage, go to school, and have a sweet car?"

Astrid laughed. "Fair enough. What kind of car do you have?"

"A Corvette Stingray," the boy grinned. "How's that for proof, Blondie?"

"I haven't seen it yet," Astrid argued. "So technically it doesn't exist to me."

"I'll show it to you. I'll give you a ride in it. You good with that?" The boy had an eyebrow raised.

"Sure – I guess," Astrid stammered. "Just don't crash me into a light pole or something."

"You have so little faith in me, Milady," the boy sighed. "Haven't I saved your life once already?"

"You saved my leg, sure. As for little faith, just based on the last time I've seen you, it looks like you get hurt a lot. Maybe hanging out with you isn't the best idea."

"Hanging out with me is the best idea in the world, Milady."

"Holy Thor, you're arrogant."

"I'm rich. I'm allowed to be arrogant now. That's the way the world works."

"Are you sure you're not turning into – in your own words – a 'rich asshole?'" Astrid made quotation marks with her fingers.

"Oh, man, you remembered THAT, too?" the boy was laughing.

"I have a good memory," Astrid laughed.

"Well, so do I," the boy replied. "And if I recall correctly, which I do, I rephrased that statement and said that being rich was fine as long as the money was earned and that the rich people still appreciated the small things in life. I certainly earned it, and my employer thought I did as well, probably even more than I did. And I certainly appreciate all the small thing, I learned how to, so I'm officially not a rich asshole. There." The boy crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"But you're now rich." Astrid commented. "How rich, though? A millionaire, you said?"

"Yes I am."

"Wow. What on earth did you do to get all that money?"

The boy chuckled. "Well, I earned the first two million by killing an albino bull moose with antlers, and then I earned the other three mil because I fought a bear, three men, and a dog and had the pus beaten out of me when I sent the picture to the guy who wanted the moose head of that albino. He saw it and felt I earned more than just two, and gave me five. I'll show you that picture someday, and then you'll agree."

"Are you sure I actually WANT to see that picture?" Astrid asked. "I'm assuming it's NOT a pretty one."

"Not exactly," the boy grinned. "The blood and bruises weren't exactly something everyone would like to see, but all that was cancelled out by the awesomeness that radiated from my presence in the picture alone."

"Oh, come ON," Astrid laughed. "You're sounding like a cocky, egotistical smartass. But Smartass. I'm tired of cursing every time I address you. Come on, Smartass, what's your REAL name?"

The boy grinned. "It's Henry. Henry Haddock, hunter and trapper turned millionaire. It's nice to meet you; officially, that is."

He extended his hand, and Astrid took it. She had touched his hand once before, and it had sent tingles down her arm. This time it was no different. Henry took her hand and gave a fir but gentle squeeze. Astrid returned it. She liked the way he shook hands, she thought. It was a firm, solid grip, and the touch gave her the feeling that his hands would be good for either caressing her cheek or breaking her arm. Or even for – nevermind.

She looked up, and saw Henry grinning at her.

"Are you going to let my hand go, Milady?" he asked.

"Oh!" Astrid released his hand abruptly, reddening. She had been shaking it for about five times. "Sorry."

"No problemo." The corner of Henry's lip was dancing up and down. "So, anyway, Astrid, do I remember you telling me that you were new to Alaska? Is this your first week in school up here?"

"Yep, it is," Astrid answered, her blush fading. "It's actually pretty fun so far, but as for the school, you can never really tell how hard it'll be until midterms."

Henry looked fazed for a second, and then asked slowly, "Umm, what are midterms?"

Astrid stared for a second and then relaxed. "Oh, yeah, I forgot," she laughed. "You've never been to school before. Sorry, I was about to ask what planet you came from. Anyway, midterms are basically tests that are given halfway through the semester. The middle, you know – 'mid' terms."

"Oh, OK," Henry answered, his green eyes lightening up. "All right, that makes sense now. But school's good so far, then?"

"Yeah. Lots of nice people around. Have you met anybody else – besides jerks that you have to beat up?"

Henry grinned and crossed his legs. "Well, the score is two to one in favor of nice people. I've met one jerk and two really pretty girls so far, and that's it."

Astrid grinned. "Collecting phone numbers? Two girls?"

Henry laughed. "Well, I got into a fight before I could ask the first one for hers."

"And the second?"

"I haven't asked her either – yet." Henry grinned. He looked directly at Astrid and winked.

"OK. Whoa," Astrid laughed.

"Well, if I am to give you a ride my car, I'll have to tell you when somehow. After all, what are phones for?" Henry pulled out his. "You know, this is the very first cell phone I've ever touched. I'm still learning what exactly apps are or how to text properly. There's like a dumb code to texting. You have to know what certain things mean, like LOL, YOLO, and LMFAO. Then there's all kinds of other weird stuff that I'm trying to grasp, like what the hell Netflix and Chill and GIFS are. Not being around the civilized world for so long certainly has its drawbacks. In fact, I only learned two days ago what Netflix is."

Astrid shook her head. "I'm actually not really sure exactly how to explain to you what GIFS and Netflix and Chill mean. You'll have to figure those out on your own."

"Great." Henry was sarcastic. "I'm sure this will be fun. I should just type it in on the internet. Holy cow, that thing is so weird. Google, it has everything on there. I was even able to go on and catch my stepdad in a lie about how he's never been arrested." Henry laughed.

Astrid shook her head. "I'm not sure it's a good thing to know that your stepdad's been arrested. In fact, it's not a good thing at all."

Henry laughed. "With Gobber, I'm surprised he hasn't been in jail all his life. Both him and me share a distinct disdain for all government officials, and that includes the people who make the laws. You know what his advice was to me about breaking laws? 'If you can get away with it, DO it.'"

Astrid laughed. "Your stepdad sounds crazy."

"Oh, he is." Henry was nonchalant. "But he's a great guy. You should meet him. Actually, you probably shouldn't. You'd freak out at how insane he is. Anyway, hit me up with your number. I feel like an idiot holding this phone for no apparent reason."

Astrid smiled. "Fine. It's -"

She was interrupted. The door to the principal's office opened, and a student came out, who had been in the office previously. It was Tommy Thorston, the school troublemaker. As the door closed behind him, his gaze fell on Astrid.

"Hey, Riley-basher," he grinned. "What are you doing here? If you're in trouble, just be warned that Mr. Pebble is NOT in a good mood today, thanks to yours truly." He patted his chest.

Astrid grinned. "I'm not in trouble yet, Tuff. But he is." She pointed at Henry, and Tommy Thorston turned.

"Hey," Tuff said amiably. "I haven't seen you before, but I wish I had, while you were getting that busted lip." He pointed at Henry's chin. "You know, sometimes I regret causing trouble because I miss the fights while I'm in the principal's office."

Tuff extended his hand. "I'm Tommy Thorston, but everyone calls me Tuff. You'll get to know me as the troublemaker of the school, and I suppose that's more than true. Who'd you fight, bro?"

Henry had gotten to his feet to shake Tuff's hand, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Nice to meet you, Tuff," he grinned. "Glad there's someone else here who got in trouble besides me. I'm Henry Haddock."

"Sweet." Tuff was grinning. "So who'd you fight? And who won?"

"I'm not sure who he was," Henry answered, "except that he was a big dick. Heather told me his name, but I can't remember it. He was a good fighter, though."

"So he won?" Tuff asked.

"I didn't say that." Henry grinned. "I said he was a good fighter, but he wasn't good enough. He was too slow, too compressed to think – or fight – outside the box. All I needed to do was give him some variety, a few quick, hard punches to get him rattled, and the rest was easy. Like I said, I don't remember who he was, but he had an anchor tattoo on his bicep. Anyway, you'll recognize him by the way his nose will look for a week."

Tuff laughed. "Freakin' sweet. But did you say anchor tattoo on his arm? Was he a big guy, big nose, black hair, handsome?"

"Yeah," Henry replied.

"Then you just beat up the quarterback!" Tuffnut laughed. "That was Scotty. He's my pal, but it must have been cool to see him get his ass kicked! No one's done that before, and I admit he had it coming, he can be pretty obnoxious sometimes. Maybe it'll take him down a peg. Nice fucking job, Henry!"

He raised his hand for a high five, but the secretary at the desk to their right snapped.

"Tommy, watch your language or I'll send you right back in that door. And you," she pointed at Henry, "Can go right on in now. Mr. Oldman will see you about the fight."

"Thanks," Henry said, without turning around, and high-fived Tuff Thorston with vigor.

"Bam!" Tuff grinned. "I'll see you around, Henry. Maybe on the work detail."

"Oh, great," Henry said sarcastically. "Catch you later, Tuff."

Tuff, who was still grinning, raised his hand to be high-fived by Astrid as he went out. Astrid, from her seat, held her hand out and Tuff slapped it before exiting.

Astrid looked up at Henry as Tuff left. "You beat up Scott Jorgenson?" she asked, incredulously.

Henry shrugged. "If Scott Jorgenson is an asshole that picks on younger kids, then I guess it was him."

"Good for you," Astrid smiled. "And he IS an asshole – I know that from experience. I'll see you when you come out of there, Henry."

"Right." Henry turned to the door that was marked, 'Mr. Oldman, Principal' and went in. The door didn't close all the way, however, and Astrid perked up her ears to hear the conversation.

"Mr. Haddock." It was , the principal, speaking.

"That's me."

"We've met before."

"Yes, we have." Henry's tone was smooth and easygoing, and Astrid heard a noise as he pulled up a chair.

"You're the kid who became a millionaire and wanted to attend my school with no previous academic record. You came to see me."

"Correct."

"You were dressed better then."

"Are you criticizing my clothing, sir? What, am I expected to wear a suit to school, Mr. Oldman?"

Mr. Oldman chuckled. "No. But you are expected to refrain from fighting. When we talked two weeks ago, your behavior impressed me and I thought you would be a model student. That was part of the reason I allowed you to attend. Now I'm not so sure. Fighting on your first day is not a start to be proud of. Mr. Haddock, this school did you a great service by allowing you to attend without previous records, and yet you do not seem grateful for that fact. I get enough problems from students as is, and having you here is already causing more issues. As a school, we expect certain behavior from students."

Henry snorted audibly.

"Well sir, as a student, I expect certain behavior from my school, such as dealing with bullies who relentlessly taunt and abuse younger students. The kid I beat up had been tormenting a fellow schoolmate for at least a minute before I – executed justice. Your hall monitors and security personnel were nowhere to be found. I had to step in and do your job for you, sir. Come on, Mr. Pebble, if you've even heard exactly what happened, which I doubt, you'd find out that that guy, Scott, struck the first blow. I merely retaliated. I think the only reason I was brought here instead of him was because I was NOT the one who got sent to the nurse."

Astrid stifled a laugh. No one had ever talked to Mr. Oldman like that.

"Mr. Haddock." Mr. Oldman was terse. "I am fully aware that Scott Jorgenson was as much at fault as you are, and perhaps more. And I will also concede that we have been remiss in our duties as a school for not catching the bullying as it occurred. Therefore, I will be generous and award no punishment for you. This is your first day of school and getting involved in bullying is not a start to be proud of. Go and see if you can salvage your first day, and do not get sent here again or I will level out some severe consequences for you. Clean up your face a little and then get to your class. Dismissed."

"Thank you, sir."

The chair squeaked as Henry rose, and a second later he emerged from the office, winking at Astrid.

"Hey, what's your first class?" Astrid asked, getting up.

"First period?" Henry pulled out a paper from his pocket and glanced at it for a minute. "English, room 42, Miss Green."

"That's mine!" Astrid laughed. "Great. Wait until I come out and then I'll walk you down there. Should only take a minute."

"Sounds good to me," Henry grinned. "You owe me an escort, anyway. I guided you through a trap-riddled hunting ground; now you can guide me through the holy terrors of public school."

Astrid laughed. "Deal."

She swung open the door and went to give her papers to Mr. Oldman. It took only a few minutes, and then she was right back out, where Henry was joking with the secretary.

"Hey, are you ready to go, Smartass?" She asked.

Henry finished laughing with the secretary and looked over at her.

"Hey, you know my name now. I thought you had given up calling me Smartass."

"I never said so." Astrid grinned. "And you know my name and never gave up calling me 'Milady.' Come on, let's get to class."

"Right." Henry turned to the secretary. "See you later, Miss Olivia."

"Have a nice day, Mr. Haddock," the secretary replied, and Henry turned to Astrid.

"All right, let's go to class," Henry said, holding open the door for her. "My first class ever. We'll see how it goes."

Astrid smiled and went through the door. "Well, don't make it as memorable as your first walk through the halls," she said. "And you'd better watch out, too. Scott's in the same class as us."

"I think he's the one who should watch out," Henry replied. "I'm not the one that got knocked on his ass a few minutes ago."

Astrid chuckled. "I assume we need to stop by your locker to get your stuff?"

"Right. It's this way." Henry turned and went back to the spot from which he had been escorted by the hall monitor. Astrid followed him and stared as she saw a few drops of blood on the floor and a huge dent in one of the lockers.

"Scene of the crime," Henry joked, as he turned to his new locker.

"What the hell dented this locker?" Astrid demanded, staring at the metal grating. "Holy Thor, I've never seen that before."

"I have hard fists," Henry grinned, spinning his combination and opening his locker.

"Are you joking?" Astrid asked, touching the metal and feeling the depression. "This is pretty thick stuff."

"I've used these fists on a lot more than just bullies and school lockers," Henry answered, turning around and shouldering his backpack. "Like I said before, being a lone ranger for ten years has a different effect on a guy than you might think."

He took off his camouflage coat and threw it in his backpack before straightening his arms to show Astrid his forearms. They were riddled with old scars and new ones, including the dog bite that he had gotten recently.

"Ouch," Astrid said, touching the recent dog bite. "All right, I admit it, you've messed with tougher things than lockers and quarterbacks. What the hell did that to you?"

"Bloodhound." Henry turned and gestured down the hall. "Room 42 is this way?"

"Right," Astrid said, turning. "And you got bitten by a bloodhound?! Why?"

"Well, let's just say the dog's owner didn't exactly – umm, appreciate me at the time he decided to give an attack command," Henry answered.

"What happened?" Astrid was staring at his arm. "What did you do?"

"I killed it." Henry said it matter-of-factly, as if it was obvious. "That's the flaw with most trained attack dogs and wolves, they all go for the throat. It's not fun if they get you, but it's easy to stop them by putting your arm in the way." He lifted his left arm to demonstrate, and Astrid tore her gaze off it to look at Henry. He was describing it. "They latch on to your arm, and then they try to pull you down. You've got to move fast before they do, because if you're on your back with a dog on top, you're done for."

"What do you do?" Astrid was absorbed.

"Well, if you want to keep the dog alive," Henry answered, "You try dropping to one knee and using your free hand to press at the base of the jaw, trying to get him to unlock. But that's risky and dangerous. Even if you get him off, which isn't likely with one hand, he'll go right back at you. So you almost always have to use method two - force."

Astrid shuddered. "I'm afraid to ask what that means."

"You don't want to know," Henry replied grimly. "But you need a knife for it. When the dog has your arm and he's hanging, the only place that'll really do the trick is his belly." Henry held out his hand as if held a knife, and made a slicing motion with it. "You strip him. No hope for the dog, and it's not pretty."

"Yikes," Astrid winced. "That's more than enough. You did that?"

"Right," Henry rejoined. "With enough practice, it's easy enough. It's the same thing you do with wolves."

"Wolves!? " Astrid screeched.

"Yes, wolves." Henry grinned. "But enough about me and old dogfights. What have you been doing, Milady? Taking advantage of your still-good leg and winning more races?"

"Pretty much," Astrid smiled, as she got onto her favorite topic; running. "A few, here and there. Nothing big, but I think I'm getting faster. That's pretty good for a girl. For boys, they're expected to get faster during their High School career, but girls are different. For most of the best, they're still growing through High School, and that means more weight and wider hips, which make it harder to run over the years. But I'm different, apparently. Maybe I've already grown, but anyway, I'm getting faster. I shouldn't have a problem being the top girl runner in the state this year."

"Good for you," Henry praised. "So you like Cross Country, huh?"

"You bet. I do track, too, just so college coaches can see some numbers there, but it's not as fun. Anyway, you should try running, Henry. It'd be right down your alley. You've been on your legs all your life; until now, since you've got a Corvette.'"

Henry chuckled. "Maybe I should. I wasn't able to decide what sports to do yet, but maybe I would be good at running. When does it start?"

"Well, it started this week," Astrid said. "It goes hand-in-hand with the fall semester, which we're in right now. So if you want to do it, show up today after school – if you've already got your sports paperwork turned in."

"I did that back when I was getting registered," Henry told her. "So I can just show up and be on the team?"

"Talk to the coaches and they'll set you up," Astrid answered. "And here we are. Room 42. Come on in. Welcome to class."

"Thanks a lot," Henry muttered, and opened the door to his first High School period.

As usual, everyone turned lazily to look at the latecomer. However, as soon as they laid eyes on Henry, they all stared. Not only was he a stranger, but he was wearing a tight black Tee shirt that showed his defined muscles, and well-fitting jeans that completed the picture. Not to mention he had a swollen lip. Astrid walked in behind him.

Miss Green, the teacher, spoke up sharply, apparently not caring that a new student had entered.

"Both of you are tardy. Do you have a pass, Astrid?"

"Yes, ma'am," Astrid said, walking past Henry to the desk. She handed Miss Green her tardy slip, which Mr. Pebble had given her.

"Right," Miss Green said. "You may take your seat, Astrid."

"Thanks, ma'am."

Astrid turned and walked to her desk. Henry was still standing by the door, a slight smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

"So, Miss Green," he said. "Do I get to sit right here in the aisle, or do I get a desk?"

The classroom tittered. Miss Green scowled.

"And you are?"

"Henry Haddock. Just moved up here from Soldotna – or near there. This is my first day of school, not just in Anchorage, but in my entire life, and I am an ignorant fool, but I do know that I should have a desk. Can I take one?"

The class was now grinning and whispering.

"Oh, you're the new kid," Miss Green recalled. "That's right. I remember you being on the list. I can easily see why you are late today – your face gives it away. I assume Mr. Pebble has assigned an appropriate reprimand for you. And yes, take whatever desk you choose except that one." She pointed. "It is already taken."

"It looks empty to me," Henry grinned, making a show of staring at the desk. Once again the classroom laughed.

"Silence," Miss Green snapped. "Henry, that desk belongs to Scott Jorgenson. He is not here yet, and,"

The door opened, and Scott himself entered. Henry turned around to see the big, muscular student stop in mid-stride, halting as soon as he saw Henry. His nose was bandaged. People who had noticed Henry's split lip began to put two and two together. A fusillade of whispering went around as Scott stepped up to Henry, his face inches away from the shorter boy's.

"Scott!" Miss Green snapped. "Not in my classroom, if you please! Take your seat!"

Scott ignored her, and Henry and Scott began an intense staredown. Scott's dark brown eyes bored into Henry's fierce green. They held the pose for three full seconds before Scott blinked, stepped back, and took his seat without a word. The class was stunned speechless. Henry, following Scott with his gaze, shrugged, and then glanced around for a desk. A smiling blonde girl, who sat next to Astrid, pointed at the desk next to hers. It was a perfect spot, because Astrid was the next desk down and Heather, the girl he had met earlier, was right behind him. He would be surrounded by three attractive girls, including Astrid. Especially Astrid.

So Henry grinned and walked over, dropping his backpack by the chair. He spared a glance across the aisle at Scott, who turned his head and glared daggers at Henry. Henry glowered right back, but was interrupted by a distinct 'psst.' He turned and saw the girl who had smiled at him leaning over to talk.

"Hey," she said. "You're Henry?"

"That's me," Henry whispered back.

"I'm Callie Johnson," the girl smiled. "Nice to meet you." She reached her hand over discreetly and grasped Henry's hand. "Some people call me Cami. I saw your fight this morning. You rocked it."

"Aww, come on," Henry muttered. "And you know what, if you're going to talk to me, why don't you teach me before we banter? I know how to fight, we don't need to discuss that. What I don't know is what the hell I'm supposed to be doing right now."

Callie smiled, and pointed across Henry's desk at Astrid, who was looking at Henry. "Hey, As," she said. "You didn't teach him what to do in class?"

"No," Astrid whispered back. "I didn't really have time."

"I would have found the time," Callie grinned, and looked back to Henry. "OK, big guy, here's what we all do in class. Get this, it's REALLY important. We do – wait for it - NOTHING."

Henry stared. "What?"

"Nothing."

Henry frowned. "Nothing?"

"Nothing." Callie was enjoying herself. "Productivity is not even an option here. If you really feel like doing something, you watch a movie or text on your phone. Other than that, don't even bother. This class is a waste of time."

Henry was gawking. "I thought school was a – a place where you actually learned - something," he stuttered.

"Well, yeah, you're SUPPOSED to learn," Astrid cut in. "But actually doing it is a completely different story."

"Well, OK," Henry said. He pointed at the books on his desk. "And these are here just for show?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Heather laughed, nudging Henry from behind. "Use them only when you feel like making Miss Green think you're actually doing anything."

"Holy shit," Henry muttered, and all the girls laughed. Miss Green looked up.

"Girls!" She snapped. "Heather, Callie, Astrid, quiet down."

"Yes ma'am," Callie said meekly, and rolled her eyes at Henry. Henry just shook his head.

"Hey, Astrid," Callie said, pulling out her phone. "Check this out. You didn't get to see the fight, so I filmed it for you."

"Oh no, don't show her that!" Henry groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Oh Gods."

Astrid took Callie's phone and, with a glance at Henry, who was shaking his head, hit the play button. The sound was quiet, but she could hear the din of students and then the camera focused on Henry. He was rolling his shoulders and grinning, blood trickling down his lip. He had just gotten hit, apparently, but it didn't seem like it had fazed him at all.

"You know," Henry said on the film, "If there was a school designed to teach people how to hit like a pussy, you'd be the damn principal."

Astrid stifled a laugh in her sleeve, and looked back to the phone screen to see Scott yell some obscene insult and attack Henry. That was where things got interesting. Henry ducked and spun, and somehow his fist hit Scott square in the jaw, knocking him back against the lockers.

"Oooomffph." Astrid winced as she saw it, and Henry didn't stop there. He leapt forward and punched again, but Scott dodged, and she saw Henry's fists hit the locker. The dent appeared. He had actually dented the locker.

Astrid's face lost all signs of amusement as she saw the brutal finish. Henry won the battle quickly and efficiently, and Scott's howl of pain was a little unnerving. She paused the video.

"Geez, Henry, you pasted him," Astrid marveled, handing the cell phone back to Callie. "Where'd you learn to fight?"

Henry shrugged. "Here and there."

"Yeah," Heather chuckled. "Here and there? How about everywhere? You've fought before, Henry. I would even say you've fought for a living."

"Yes, I have," Henry muttered. "But who cares? I don't like fighting. I just did that because Scott was being a dick. Don't expect me to go hammering away at everyone I see."

"But that's cool!" Callie murmured.

"Cool?" Henry spluttered. "Fighting is a last resort. It's not fun, or – or cool. Come on, Callie."

"Fighting is great!" Callie grinned. "Talk to Astrid about that."

"Oh?" Henry raised an eyebrow.

"Oh NO, do not get him calling me Riley-basher!" Astrid groaned.

"Wait, what?" Henry grinned. "Do I smell a mouse here?"

"Oh yes," Heather laughed. "Little Miss Astrid right there can kick some ass too, when she feels like it."

"Stop it!" Astrid moaned.

"Oh no." Heather was enjoying herself, and Henry leaned back in his chair to hear her better. "So this hottie around here, Riley Thorston, got the idea in her drunk head that Astrid was trying to steal Riley's boyfriend, who is actually Scott, the guy you just beat up. She got physical with Astrid, and so Astrid snapped."

"Like, she just went nuts," Callie broke in. "She wound up and BOOM!" She demonstrated with an exaggerated, overdone uppercut.

"Knocked poor Riley out cold." Heather was laughing. "It was terrific. Tuff sent me a video of it, wanna see it?"

"Oh, no!" Astrid hissed, reaching for Heather's phone. "Don't show him that!"

"Oh no, Milady," Henry grinned. "You saw me fight on film, I get to see you fight on film."

"But, I was like, really irritated and had been drinking," Astrid complained, as Heather stiff-armed Astrid away from her while she scrolled down her phone.

"Here we go, big guy," she grinned at Henry. "This was a catfight that was more like a boxing match. It's been all over the school. There's no one who hasn't seen it now."

"Then I can't be left out," Henry grinned, as Astrid tried to take the phone from him. "Oh, no, Milady, hands off."

He hit the play button, and the dull roar of 'fight, fight' echoed from the speaker. Henry grinned as he saw Astrid, in a short blue dress, step forward, fake, and then lift an uppercut, which smashed into her opponent, a gorgeous blonde in a gorgeous dress. The girl crumpled like a wet rag.

"K.O." Henry chuckled. "That was a stroke, Blondie. You should have been there and fought Scott for me."

"She got nicknamed Riley-basher after that," Callie broke in. "It's completely stuck among all the guys. I hope you'll keep it going, Henry."

"No! I hate that title!" Astrid snapped. "It sucks! I can't wait for the races to start so they'll all know me as 'that fast chick' instead of 'Riley-basher.' Goodness, it sounds so stupid."

"It sounds awesome, Milady," Henry laughed. "I'll start calling you that, too."

"You can't!"

"You bet I can."

"But you've already got TWO nicknames for me! 'Milady' and 'Blondie.'"

"There's always room for one more."

"No, there isn't!"

"Yes there is, Milady Riley-basher."

"Oh, nooooo!"

The bell rang, and Heather and Callie laughed aloud as they got up from their seat. Henry, however, raised an eyebrow.

"What does that bell mean?" he asked. "Why is everyone getting up?"

"Oh, you poor little ignorant guy," Callie laughed. "That bell means time for the next class. You've got five minutes to be there. Let's go."

"Right." Henry was grinning, but then he abruptly lost his smile and handed the phone back to Heather. His eyes wearily went to the aisle, and the three girls turned to see why. Scott Jorgenson was there, standing by Astrid's desk.

Henry rose. "If you're looking for round two we can take this to the locker room," he said to Scott coldly.

Scott smiled, looking even nastier with his bandaged nose. "Maybe later," he sneered. "In fact, almost certainly later. I just stopped by to warn you. Don't fuck with me again. You caught me off guard today, I admit it, and you pack a punch. But when round two comes, you won't be the one walking away."

Henry smiled. "We'll see."

"Scott and Henry!" Miss Green was stern. "Move out. Class is over. And no squabbling or I'll send you right back to where you came."

"I'll see you later, Henry," Scott sneered, turning to walk away.

"I can be in the parking lot after school if you want to get pummeled again," Henry told his back. Scott ignored it, pushed open the door, and vanished in the hall.

"What an asshole," Callie muttered, picking up her bag. "I hope you DO fight him again, Henry. I want to watch."

"Come on, Callie," Henry laughed. "What is up with you and fighting?"

"I'm a karate girl," Callie replied, as the three girls and Henry walked out into the hall.

"Oh, really?" Henry was genuinely interested. "Karate? That's some kind of really weird fighting style, isn't it?"

"It is," Callie grinned. "I should fight you someday."

"Oh, don't ever fight him," Heather laughed. "Didn't you see how fast Henry moved? You'd be a dead girl in two seconds."

"I'm not sure," Callie said. "Maybe Henry can't counter my fast moves."

"We'll see if he can," Astrid smiled. "And watch out, Haddock!" She swung a quick chop at Henry's neck.

Henry reacted automatically. With a jerk, he ducked under Astrid's swing and pushed her shoulder as the arm sailed overhead. She spun, and Henry came up under her arms, grabbed her hips, and with a quick jerk, flipped her over his back.

"Yiiiiikkkkkkeeessss!" Astrid shrieked, as her legs flipped over and she landed right on her feet in the hall, behind Henry's back. Henry's arms came off her shoulders, which he had been using to steady her.

"You're light as a feather, Milady," He grinned, turning around. Astrid, gasping for air, spun around at glared up at Henry.

"Who said you could do that to me!?" She demanded.

"You brutally assaulted me, Milady," Henry grinned. "And I had to react. A ruthless Riley-basher was attacking me and I had to look out before the nickname was changed to Henry-basher."

"I'll be bashing you sometime later," Astrid growled, but there was a smile on her face. "Right now you need to get to your next class, big boy."

"Oh, right. Crap." Henry pulled the schedule of his pocket. "Second period: Math, Mr. Fremaux." He looked up. "Any of you girls with me?"

"Nope." They all shook their heads. "But Fishlegs is," Heather put in. Henry raised a brow.

"Figlegs?"

"No, FISHlegs. He's a footballer, like Scott, but he's a nice guy. There's some other cool guys around, too. You'll meet them all eventually."

"I hope," Henry smiled. "And where is," he looked at his schedule, "Room 7?"

Astrid pointed. "Down this hall, take a left, and then a right. The room is then on the right."

"Thanks a lot, Blondie." Henry smiled, and slung his backpack over his shoulders. "Or should I say Riley-basher?"

"Go die in a hole," Astrid scowled.

"Oh, I probably will, if math is as enjoyable as I remember it," Henry laughed. "But we will see. And I will also see you all later. Astrid, you still owe me your number, too."

"Right," Astrid smiled. "After school."

"Great." Henry winked, turned, and disappeared in the throng of students trying to get to their classes.

The three girls watched him go.

"Holy Thor, he's hot," Callie commented.

"He's really nice and funny," Heather added. "I could definitely get used to him." She turned to Astrid. "And you look like you could too, little Miss 'I don't want a boyfriend yet.' He's after your number already! Good for you!"

Astrid reddened. "He's really nice, sure. I just…" She trailed off.

"Oh, she's got the hots for Henry," Callie laughed. "Come on, I wanted him, Astrid. Are you on him, or can I go for it?"

Astrid turned to look at Callie.

"No." She said firmly.

OK! There we go, the chapter ten milestone over! Let me know what you thought, what you think I could improve, what you think I did well, anything! And give me some suggestions for scenes and cool stuff that I could use, too! I'm scraping the soul of my imagination to come up with funny stuff to write, but three stories(plus one more in the works) is taking a toll on me. I want some help!

And here is my name chart, the names of the original characters translated into RWF characters that have appeared so far.

Astrid – Astrid
Hiccup – Henry
Gobber – Gobber
Heather – Heather
Astrid's mom(is she even named in the movies or TV series?) - Ingrid
Snotlout – Scott
Tuffnut – Tommy
Ruffnut - Riley
Fishlegs – Frank
Camicazi – Callie
Toothless(dragon) – Toothless(dog/wolf)
Stormfly(dragon) – Stormy(dog)
Red Death(dragon) – Red Death(bear)
Gustavish character – Ned

Others, like Thuggory and Meatlug, will appear later.

Reviewers, the heart and soul of my writing motivation, thank you all so much and here are my replies!

EagleDragon15: Fake care? Heather's being a really nice girl right now, getting Henry set up. I like her, myself. But yeah, beating up Scott/Snotlout was a fun scene to write for so many reasons.

Guest RV1: Never said he was short – he's just shorter than Scott. In this story I'd put Henry at about 5' 11" and Scott at 6' 2". Scott's just a really big, tall guy.

Angryhenry: Yippeee!

Odael: I replied to this like, over a month and like 50 messages ago. LOL. And I still hold firm to my valid argument, BTW, so stop mocking me in front of everybody or I will block your reviews. :) JK, LOL.

ImoLex: So glad you were excited! It's good to know that this story is liked. And I certainly had LOTS of fun hunting, thanks for the good wishes, maybe they helped. :)

Angel: Right. I've already replied to this, haven't I? XD. But thanks anyway, and let me know what you thought of this one!

Dark Ghost coc: Oh…. it's you….. Hi. I guess I'm glad you enjoy RWF, since my goal is to give all my readers a good story, but my opinion of your reviews isn't exactly high at the moment… Come on, bro, it's you! I had been joking and bantering with you at the time you wrote this review – we were all chill, and now, not so much. So, because of that, I guess a normal, friendly reply isn't exactly one of my options now, but I do still appreciate the support and I do hope you enjoy this story.
PS. And I also hope that you at least considered what I said to you regarding Viking Siege, even though I was rather mean about it. :/

Lady Kick Your Butt: So happy! I love it when I'm able to make someone's day. Thank you! :) And yes, I went hunting, which was part of the reason this update took so long. It was FUUUUNNN! And I have put in more Hiccup/Henry snarking Scott in this chapter just for just for you! That dialogue between the two in the classroom was because you asked for it! :)

Crofty666: Yeah, no Red Death in Anchorage, but that beast bear's role in the story ain't over yet, believe me. Thanks for the good wishes, I did have LOADS of fun.

GBCat: Heeyy, you guessed it! Bring your Pet to School Day should be fun… And I already replied to you, didn't I? LOL.

SMr. Freeze: Here you go, wait over! And thanks for the hunting wishes, I had SO MUCH fun!

KupcakeKrazed101: Sorry I made you wait so long! But I did write it, and here it is. Hope you like it!

LunnaValley23: Answered already; thanks again, though!

AndJrew76: Yeah, I hate it when stories are left abandoned with no word of why or when they will be back up, so I made sure to warn you all before I left, even though it was only for a month(a little more).

Foster117: Already answered, right?

wilco pop: Already got you, too.

Unbreakable Warrior: Yeah, sorry for making you wait, but I'm glad you like it and here you go.

Mark Andrew: I guess my reply to you was above, since you called me a liar. I am not a liar. I am a mean cliffhanger-person, sure, but an honest mean cliffhanger person I remain. LOL.

tjjenkins: Yeah man, I just had to do it, because – a big black wolf in school!? Hell yes! LOL.

Guest RV2: Funny, yeah. Henry has a knack for meeting people in odd circumstances – like pointing a gun at one, and kicking the other's ass. XD

Blue – The First Traveller: You said please! So here you go. :) Not having them remember each other would be childish, too, and I tried to show that they still remembered each other by having each one discuss the other with their respective parents in Chapter three – and four? I don't recall what happened in my own story. Sad. LOL.

Northren Wind: Well, I did fill my freezer – too much, actually! It wasn't all able to fit. Two moose and almost 500 pounds worth of straight meat, no bones attached. And all my bullets flew straight and true into moose – except the time I had blaze away at a running moose at about 50 yds. and missed by approximately a mile. LOL. Thanks so much, pal, for both the reviews and the hunting good luck wishes! I think they helped! :)

Guest RV3: Who's stronger… I would actually bet on Scott being able to beat Hiccup in an arm-wrestling match (or any feat of raw strength), but yes, Henry is a badass, and Scott is – not. LOL. And yes, Bring Your Pet to School Day was something I had to put in – I mean, what better way could Astrid meet Toothless? HA HA. And sorry I was gone for so long. I'll try to make it up to you… but I'll fail, no doubt. And yes, no albino moose, but of course NOT! :)

wman243: Glad you love it! I'll try to keep it up for you.

Reviewer: Oh yes, that is coming up. Why else would I put Bring Your Pet to School Day in there? LOL. Thanks for the review.

xlight02: Hey bro, good to be back and enjoy!

Elemental Ninja 1608(all reviews):
Chpt. 2: Yes, Astrid being rich was an interesting touch, but I felt it would be a nice way to go to add yet another unique factor to this story. Also, for some reason I pictured her running status to be on par with her finances. LOL.
Chpt. 3: And yes, I'm very proud of my Henry/Gobber relationship that RWF has had. I need to do more with them here soon, since you and a lot of others liked it so much.
Chpt. 4: I never did have Astrid talk to her dad yet (her dad hasn't even made an appearance, actually), but maybe I should have, now that you mention it. I really only wanted to show that Astrid still remembered Henry when she discussed him with her mom, and didn't really think about the father. He'll have to meet Henry later, though when things go – that way. LOL.
Chpt. 5: Heather was chill, and writing the battle with the Red Death was one of my favorite things in the whole story so far. Action I could write all day. My tongue lolls out when I do it. LOL.
Chpt 6: And yes, TENSION! And money, ha ha.
Chpt. 7: One odd first party, huh? But we got to see Frank/Fishlegs for the first time, so that was good.
Chpt. 8: The confrontational scene at the bank was actually an impromptu decision that I decided to write on the spur of the moment. It will help a lot if I ever decided to make the three hunters return at a later date.

Guest RV 4: Thank you Thank you! Hope you continue to enjoy.

skifast: Damn right it's damn great! LOL. Hope you enjoy it.

You guys are amazing, thank you so much!
NatB.