The other answered him faintly:
'My name is Balan, brother to the good knight Balin!'
'Alas!' said Balin, 'that ever I should see the day!' And therewith he fell back in a swoon.
Then Balan crawled on all fours, feet and hands, and put off the helm of his brother, and might hardly know him by his face, so hewn and stained it was. Balan wept and kissed his face, and with that Balin awoke.
'O Balan, my brother, thou hast slain me and I thee!'
'Alas!' said Balan, 'but I knew thee not, my brother. Hadst thou had thine own shield, I would have known thy device of the two swords.'
'Ah, 'twas part of the evil hap that hath followed me,' cried Balin. 'I know not why.'
Then they both swooned, and the lady of the castle came and would have had them taken to a chamber. But Balan awoke and said:
'Let be! let be! No leech can mend us. And I would not live more, for I have slain my dear brother and he me!'
Balin woke up therewith, and put his hand forth, and his brother clasped it in his, very eagerly.