The teams immediately went to work, enduring the heat as they hit their skins. They knew that this was unavoidable, and doing this at the soonest was the only way to cut their suffering short—whether it was death by heatstroke or by actually managing to build some shades.
She had seriously considered covering their bodies with wet mud to protect themselves from the direct heat. After all, they didn't have many workable trees, which meant not everyone could fit in, but at least the stream would provide ample amounts of mud.
However, there were too many risks, especially if the mud dried out.
Mud had insulating properties to keep the heat out, but it could also trap it in. After it dried, the helpful effects of evaporation would disappear and would just add body temperature instead.
It would also hinder their movements, slowing them down, and making them suffer even more in general.
