He always smiled, she noticed.
Before the battles he buried himself, drove his mind so no Shepherd was ever lost. He never complained, never stopped, almost never gave himself a breather- she'd worked to make that an almost. He always smiled and bore the burden he took on.
During the battles he was everywhere. Flitting around skirmishes, belting out orders and overseeing manuevers, he always was in the midst of a fight. He always protected them, she saw, never content to have no casualties- if it was possible, not a single injury. More often than not she carried him back to the camp, calling for a medic to stem his blood. He always smiled even as he was their shield, her shield.
After a battle he was up again, openly defying the clerics' orders to stay put and rest. He'd hasten to the front lines, supporting any who were injured in his absence. He would account for all logistics alongside the royal's steward and the wandering merchant, working into the darkness to plot their next move. He'd visit everyone to ask about their welfare, irregardless of his own pain- she often accompanied him so as to catch him when he fell. He always smiled even as they hobbled from tent to tent.
Even when they were alone he smiled incessantly, that gentle expression never leaving him. Whether it be a simple chat or passionate intimacy, he never let that smile leave his face for long. Sometimes she wondered what lay behind that smile, but she knew it would be as good as the rest of him.
"What's wrong?" Even now he smiled at her, albeit with soft eyes.
"Nothing." She snuggled into his warmth, resting her head on his lap. "Keep smiling.
True to form, he continued.