My Words | Your Words | My Thoughts
Things were getting bad. The fires were being extinguished, slowly. Bucket after bucket rained down on the fire, and the squirrel made sure that each one was directed at the smaller fires branching over the wood and stone to make sure that the way was cleared for the second group as they cleared away the beams and what rock they could manage. He swiftly moved from shoulder to shoulder in an attempt to guide them - of course, one of the biggest problems was that not all of the volunteers were so happy to be dictated so completely. Some of them kept their voices hidden, although they often gave long wavering glances to the squirrel while carrying out his orders. They knew what was at stake here - not just the fate of the White Swan, but the lives of all those that were still trapped inside the wreckage.
Others, however, did not. "Can't you just leave us to do it by ourselves? Jeez.. I know how to throw water onto a fire." One man shrugged his shoulders roughly in an attempt to dislodge the squirrel that was perched there, but this was no time for a power struggle - not a time to show weakness, either, lest he lose control of the entire group. He gripped even tighter, remained standing, and kept firm eye contact. So did he - for a while. However, staring into the pupil-less eyes of a humanoid squirrel wasn't the same as trying to stare down a human. Eventually he looked away, and the squirrel tightened his grip an inch before he began speaking. He needed to get rid of these thoughts, not just from him - from all of them. He spoke just loud enough to ensure they could overhear him, but not loud enough to let them all know that it was a public speech.
"There are lives at stake here. The lives of those that are inside that building, the lives of those that have all of their worldly possessions, their livelihood within that building." That hit a chord. He lowered his gaze a little further, but the squirrel kept going. "This isn't about me ordering you around because I like doing it. This is me trying to make sure that the fire is put out, that the wooden bars are moved, so that Marrick can get out of that burning building when he has to." The man turned back and looked like he was ready to say something to contradict that, but this time the squirrel cut him off as he spoke his first few words, overwhelming them and then continuing long after he lowered his head. "This is NOT just about you. This is about everyone working together, as one, the best that they can. If you don't want to do it, then be my guest. But the only way that we're going to put out this fire is if we work TOGETHER."
His words seemed to have placated the group for now.. but he still felt unsteady. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a serious argument and waste more time than he'd already spent. "Come on. We're losing valuable ticks here." He hopped off the shoulder, just at the moment that the cavalry arrived. He wasn't really sure if they were cavalry, but either way, he was eternally grateful when a girl showed up on the back of the familiar mount Kiter. It couldn't be a civilian.. which meant only one thing. "You there!" He pointed to the girl, and the Pycon sitting at her lap when he noticed the ball of Res slowly forming above it and traced the small streams back down to the origin. "You need to aim for the upper floors of the building, and fast!"
Another problem with a line of buckets - they could only extinguish the lower floors of the building. They were extremely limited to where they could hit, given that the upper buildings and the sides were too far away for the throw of buckets to reach. The few that had volunteered thankfully kept the way clear for the entrance and kept pushing away the smouldering rocks and wooden beams to keep the wreckage clear and it left some room for those that were working the buckets of water to move in closer and begin slowly pushing back the fires. However much they swept away, though, it always came rushing back from the smaller areas they couldn't quite reach.
