Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Socnoc, Day 22

Today's Wordcount: 1,807
Total Wordcount: 49,529
(includes the part written before SocNoc - 4143 words)
Percentage: 90.8%

An early update today because I am starting work later - at 12 noon. Why? Because I am finishing around 8.30 tonight as I am selling books at Paul Henry's Press Liasons tonight. Therefore I can get my writing done in the morning.

Some time ago now I read a book about a child raised by a bunch of woodland animals and they then went on the run from something/someone. It was by Richard Ford and the first one was called "The Quest for the Faradawn". I cannot remember much about the plot, but I can remember one thing - pratically everyone who helped the heroes was killed.

And I hated this. It just felt so wrong to me.

Yet now I am finding myself in a similar boat.

I have killed off two characters so far, and implicated the death of a third. Today I came close to sentencing another THREE to death, along with possibly an entire tribe of maky.

This is not on. If I engage in this sort of behaviour then noone will want to read it.

Yet the desire is there. It's not my fauly Noir is a blood-thirsty murderer! But I guess now I have to work out reasons for him NOT to kill everyone who has put a spanner in the works of his plan.

You'll be pleased to know, that despite these promises, no one has died today.

Yet.

And just to show how evil Noir is, here he is questioning Celeste about her involvement:

Do you know where the kit is?” Noir growled. He glared down at the brown-capped sifaka. She stared back up at him, her eyes wide with terror.

And with good reason, because crouching over her, huge paws pressed into her chest, was Kaikitra. And there was nothing any sifaka, anywhere, feared more than the touch of the fossa.

I, I do not know,” she whimpered. “Please, get your beast off me.”

Not yet,” he snarled. “I know she was here, another Hunter reported her presence. A white sifaka kit with blue eyes.”

His captive's eyes narrowed. “That Hunter killed my brother.”

And this Hunter will kill you.” Noir made a motion with his hands and Kaikitra's large jaws closed about the female sifaka's shoulder. “Tell me, or I will command her to snap your arm. Her jaws are very strong, and I think a sifaka with only one arm would be very short-lived.”

The captive sifaka whimpered. The jaws tightened. Blood trickled out, staining the pure white fur.

She wasn't with us,” Celeste whimpered. “She was living with the maky.”

Very good,” Noir said. “For that answer, I shall give you a head start. Release, Kaikitra.”

The fossa opened its jaws and stepped back, allowing Celeste to scramble free.

Now run, my pretty,” Noir grined. “Run as you never have before, because if she ever sees you again, Kaikitra will kill you.”

Celeste ran. She bounded off into the spiny forest, leaping up the trees.

Noir ran his hand along Kaikitra's short fur. He had no intention of sending the fossa after her, he needed it by his side. But it was still amusing to scare her.

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