As before, a strong wind heralded the arrival of the Makwraiths and their Heilres.  Gandalf shouted into the wind: "Awake!  The Makwraiths are here!"

            The sleeping Company jumped up at the urgency in the wizard's voice.  The Makwraiths, hearing their name, immediately became visible.  Aragorn grabbed a Makwraith as he rode past him, dragging him from his horse.  Pinning the Makwraith, Aragorn plunged his sword through the creature, destroying it.  The Makwraith's steed stood by anxiously, unsure of what to do.  In that second of indecision, Frodo grabbed the Heilres around the neck and swung onto its back.  The creature jumped instinctively, but Frodo held on until Gandalf could grab the creature and hold it still.  The other Makwraiths circled warily, their speed increasing until they were a dark blur around the Company.  Gimli charged forward and swung his axe at the blur, laying a Makwraith's side open and causing him to fall from his Heilres. 

            Merry jumped forward and plunged his short sword into the Makwraith as it tried to rise, killing it.  "Sam, grab his Heilres before it runs!"

            Sam ran after the beast, not quite sure of what to do.  He tripped over a tree root and fell, his knife spinning into the woods.  He got up and ran into the forest, searching for his sword.  Just as he was picking up his weapon, Sam heard a soft sound behind him.  Turning, he saw the riderless Heilres.  Sam whirled around to face the creature and saw that it was trembling. 

            Remembering his old pony Bill, Sam forgot that the horse belonged to the enemy and reached out with a timid hand.  The Heilres approached him just as timidly and placed its nose in Sam's hand.

            Sam moved his hand up to the Heilres ears and stroked the animal's bony head softly.  The Heilres, sensing that Sam was not going to hurt it, allowed itself to be led back to the rest of the Company. 

            As Sam had been meeting the Heilres, the others had been fighting the remaining Makwraiths.  Aragorn and Gimli had killed three more apiece and the rest had all killed at lest two.  The remaining two Makwraiths fled. 

            "Quickly!  We must follow them!" Gandalf shouted.  He, Merry and Pippin jumped on the back of the first Heilres that was captured.  Sam and Aragorn mounted the one that Sam had befriended and Gimli and Frodo mounted a third one that was captured by the dwarf.

            Sam bent over his Heilres dark neck. "After them!" he shouted, lost in the excitement of the impending chase.

            "So, Sam, no name for this poor beast?" Aragorn jested.

            "It's name is Tony." Sam replied as the Heilres leaped forward after the two Makwraiths. 

            In a panic, the Makwraiths and their Heilres unknowingly led the Company straight to Shadara's lair.  They pulled up at the entrance, barely pausing as the guards nodded to them before streaking down the tunnel. 

            The Company stopped their steeds before they were in sight of the guards.  Two of the Heilres pulled yearningly in the direction of the shadows, but Tony nudged Sam reassuringly, noticing that the Hobbit was shaking.

            "Legolas is in there." Gimli said matter-of-factly.  The others all knew it to be true.

            "How do get in without the guards seeing us?" Pippin asked.

            "We will find a way." Frodo replied, his eyes already scanning the darkness for another possible entrance.

            Sam sighed and turned to Tony. "Well, sir, do you know of any entrances for us to use?"

            To his surprise, the Heilres nodded.  It jerked its head in the direction of the forest and then turned back to the other two Heilres, who nodded reluctantly in agreement.

            "I believe that the Heilres know of an entrance." Gandalf remarked dryly, watching the Heilres nod to each other.

            "Then, lead on, Tony!" Sam cried softly.