SocNoc, day 6

Today's Wordcount: 1,699
Total Wordcount: 16,631
(includes the part written before SocNoc - 4143 words)
Percentage: 24.9 %

Today I face a dilemma - to kill or not to kill?

I have a character, I did not mean to create and had not planned for. He's a sifaka who has befriended Aurelia and I suspect she has a bit of a crush on him. He has just faced off against a hunter, and is now pursuing her - because she has seen Aurelia and recognised her heritage. The character, Matthieu, has been injured but is determined to hunt down the hunter and kill her.

And I am wondering if I should kill him.

He has no real relevance to the plot and I suspect his death will further it.

But however minor or unnecessary the character is, it is still quite difficult to kill them off, especially in a relatively trivial manner. There is the ethical side to consider - how will it affect the reader? Just because you created the characters, is it your right to kill them at a whim?

Of course it is.

I put the question to my husband, and he said "if you need to ask, than obviously the answer is 'yes'. " It doesn't matter how much you have developed affection for the character, he is still just a pawn in the greater scheme of things.

So, sorry mate, it looks like you're doomed.

Here's today's extract - and hey, they've stopped talking and are being attacked by mongooses.
(Yes the plural of mongoose IS mongooses)

Matthieu flung another mongoose to the ground as one grabbed his tail in its teeth. Aurelia scrambled down his back and bit it on the neck. The rancid taste of blood flooded her throat and she tried not to gag. The mongoose released its grip abruptly and both of them tumbled to the ground. Aurelia kicked it but it managed to close its teeth about her side. She screamed in pain. She had never felt pain like this before. Another mongoose, attracted by the smell of blood and the excitement, joined it. Two mongooses might not be a match for an adult sifaka, but now they seized the kit and tugged at her, trying to rip her apart. Matthieu dropped between them, picking one up and hurtling it against a tree. It struck the trunk, convulsed and slid down to land in a furry puddle.