Blacktail Deer Plateau coming to a close, we're down by ten.

A tiny sound of startled displeasure escaped the male at Moonstone's declaration. He took a half-step toward her before she spoke again, and at this, shame lanced through the aging male. He was ashamed to have lost his family; ashamed to have left them behind when he'd been blessed by a loving sire and a wise, nurturing dam. He was ashamed that he'd wallowed in sorrow for so many years while this girl had been on her own, suffering in her trauma.

"C'mere," he said, his voice so low and choked that it was more vibration in his throat than acutal sound. He saved her the trouble by closing the distance between them and tucking his head over her shoulders and the back of her neck, not stopping to wonder if she would find this invasion of space rude or presumptuous. It hurt to think about any child in that situation, but it hurt more to think about Moonstone, so like his own daughter, suffering through such trials. "You're stronger than I am," he murmured. "I always meant to go back home, but I couldn't find it, and I wasted years of my life wallowing in pity. I'd've never known you'd been through something like that."