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A crisp breeze stung Emmrich's face, but his smile never faltered. He had no problem dealing with a runny nose and red cheeks if it meant seeing Manfred so happy.
People often wondered how he knew that Manfred was happy in the first place, and it was a fair question considering that the fixed expression on his skull left little room for interpretation, but the answer he gave was always quite simple:
He knew that Manfred was happy because Manfred told him so.
Not always in words, certainly, but in the excited hiss that escaped him when learning something new, or in the way he'd clap his gloved hands together and cheer when he got an answer correct (or after winning a game of rock-paper-scissors).
It was in the care he showed when interacting with others, whether mortal friends or other spirits, and today it was in the way he practically skipped around the forest placing mushrooms in a little wicker basket.
Emmrich observed Manfred while he foraged—the book in his hands open and ready to correct his ward in case he chose a poisonous mushroom species—but thus far Manfred hadn't needed any help at all.
As he watched Manfred place one final mushroom in the basket, Emmrich had to dab at his eyes with a handkerchief. He was so grateful that he got to have these experiences with Manfred, and then take their bounty home to Rook.
He was truly the luckiest man in all of Thedas.