The smile died immediately, far too quickly to have gone by natural causes. His expression became very somber. Business somber. The sort of somber that Bragi knew he could not pull off if he kept looking at her face, or even if he didn't keep looking at her face because that sort of somber required eye contact to look conceivably dire. “Never fear, fair maiden,” Bragi said straight faced and grim toned.“Murderous glares are the only things I take seriously.”
He kept equally serious eye contact with her for a three full seconds. Then he broke character, and eye contact, and laughed despite his best efforts not to. Bragi was proud he'd made it as long as he did, but he was also a bit disappointed that he didn't get to detail any of the personal tragedies that led him to that sad point. They would have all had something to do with chickens. He regained his composure almost as quickly as he lost it and said sincerely, “I won't forget.”
The moment Bragi started talking about practice and hearts, he'd mentally prepared himself for further inquiry. But while he was ready for the words themselves, the sentiment that came with them threw him off balance completely. He blinked. Bragi had been expecting a raised eyebrow. A supercilious stare. Disdain or perhaps accusation. He could handle those in ways that he couldn't handle the tinge of curiosity and worry that accompanied bright caring eyes. Bragi broke eye contact immediately. They were getting closer to his destination, but there were still a few too many steps left to really process that.
“It's not important. I won't bore you with the less interesting technicalities involved with developing that conjecture at this juncture,” Bragi said. His tone came dismissive and light, but the expression was still there in her eyes when he met them. They barely knew each other. He didn't even know her name. Concern was completely unnecessary, and Bragi desperately wanted to do anything to help it go away. But he was also incredibly touched. It was another image to keep. The nameless goddess on the road and his first glimpse into her truly magnificent, beautiful heart. He loved her for having a look that he wanted to go away.
Before the goddess had time to respond any further, Bragi looked at the road before them and stopped. They were one step away from the borderline. His feet came to an immediate halt without warning. “Wait.” His eyes widened. Bragi pulled the goddess to him before the momentum caused her to take another step without him. They were suddenly close. Facing each other. Bragi could feel her breathing through his hand on her back. He looked deeper into her big green eyes.
“Do you know anything about transitional rifts? Small spots in the universe where everything converges in a way that makes it impossible for time and space to exist unless they are removed from both?” Bragi asked. “If we take one more step we will be right on the border. There but not there. Two places at once, and therefore nowhere. Notice the shadow across it. Not light but not dark. Notice where the sun is right now. Evening but not evening, therefore no time. Exactly the right conditions. We could be walking right into one.”
The vow to help Bragi look though, that made him smile. “Of course I've been vague,” Bragi said, “I'm looking for something I haven't discovered yet. Not something I've lost.”