At the Crossing Places by Kevin Crossley-Holland

shield and takes the one with the two crossed swords on it.
    â€œThere’s the lake,” she says. “Row yourself and your horse out to that little island. The scarlet knight is waiting for you.”
    First, Sir Balin and the scarlet knight joust and throw each other, then they fight with their swords. They slit each other’schain mail until the scarlet knight’s arms are bare and Sir Balin’s chest is naked and gaudy with wet blood.
    â€œWho are you?” Sir Balin shouts. “The only man I’ve ever met who can match me.”
    The scarlet knight lowers his shield and sticks his sword into the blood-stained earth.
    â€œBalan,” he pants. “The brother of Balin.”
    Sir Balin gasps. He topples over sideways, more dead than alive.
    Now on all fours, Balan crawls towards him and tugs off his helmet, but Balin’s face is masked in blood, and his brother doesn’t recognize him.
    Balin opens his eyes. “My brother,” he murmurs. “You have killed me. I’ve killed you.”
    â€œYou’re not carrying your own shield,” Sir Balan cries. “I didn’t recognize you.”
    â€œLady Dionise took it,” Sir Balin says in a weak voice. “She said mine was rather small, and so she lent me this one.”
    Balan growls. “First she trapped me, and now she has trapped you.”
    While the brothers are talking, Lady Dionise and her servants row across to the little island.
    â€œWe came out of the same dark womb,” says Balin.
    â€œAnd we’ll lie in the same tomb,” Balan says.
    â€œIt shall be done,” the ladies promise, and they begin to weap.
    â€œAnd the stone which shadows us,” Balin whispers, “let it say we are two brothers who loved each other and killed each other.”
    Lady Dionise sobs. “I did not know your names,” she says.
    Then she and her servants comfort Sir Balin and Sir Balan.
    â€œWe will send messengers to King Arthur,” says Lady Dionise. “Today and tomorrow and each tomorrow: Whoever passes this way will pray for your souls.”

27 LOVE SPELLS
    I KNOW I’LL GET PUNISHED FOR IT, BUT I SKIPPED MY lesson with Haket this afternoon because I wanted time to think about everything I’ve seen in my obsidian.
    I was walking upstream along the riverbank when I saw Rowena and Izzie sitting on a flat stone with their backs to me, and Rowena was holding something twisted in her right hand.
    â€œScratch him!” she cackled, and then she scratched whatever it was with her long fingernails. “Squeeze him! Screech him!”
    â€œHaket’s heart is as black as his cassock,” Izzie said.
    â€œHell-black,” said Rowena fiercely.
    Izzie was holding something in her right hand as well, and she bent over it and crooned:
“Witch-in-the-twig,
Rider-in-the-broom,
Tell me, tell me,
Teach me what to do.
In the water’s womb
Whirligig!
Tell me, teach me,
How to make him love me.
Make him love me
And I will love you.”
    â€œIt’s a pity his ears stick out so much,” Rowena said.
    Izzie giggled.
    â€œYou witches!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing?”
    The two girls clutched each other and looked up at me with open mouths.
    â€œNothing!” said Izzie, and she tossed a stick-man into the dark river.
    Rowena shook her head and her long, dark hair whipped from side to side. “Go away, Arthur!” she said fiercely.
    So Rowena does hate Haket. But why? I’m going to have to find out.
    Anyhow, whose ears stick out so much? Surely Izzie wasn’t putting a spell on me? She’s so stupid.

28 MY BIRTHDAY
    T OMORROW, ASH WEDNESDAY, IS MY BIRTHDAY.
    â€œThe first day of Lent,” said Lord Stephen. “Very disappointing, Arthur. But we can’t change the Church calendar. Ash Wednesday follows Shrove Tuesday, and Shrove Tuesday follows Collop Monday, and they always have done. However! What we’re going