Sylvia watched as Shortfang demonstrated how to summon a familiar, and she commented "Very cool! I'll give it a shot," She then closed her eyes, focusing on Dinah, and she called with her thoughts, "OK, Dinah. We need you here," and after she thought that, she snapped her fingers, flourishing at the end so that it was pointing at the ground in front of her. After a moment she opened her eyes to see if Dinah was indeed in front of her. Did she do it right?

Your familiar was sitting in front of you chewing on a bit of fatty meat that she somehow got. She tears a few bites into it before walking up to you and leaving it at your feet. "Aw, she got you food! Syfr never share food." Shortfang commented. Looking over at the alleyways he also sat down and began to do what you'd think is some sort of meditation. "Okay! Now for next trick. Close eyes and focus on familiar. This lets Boss see through familiar eyes, see what they see. Buddy and Pylia need to watch over Shortfang and boss, okay?" Pylia nods and Buddy gave a thumb's up. "Don't worry, we'll make sure to wake you up if anything happens over here. Just make sure that your familiars get out alive, alright?" Shortfang nods before he closes his eyes and begins to channel his mind through his familiar. "Boss, just gotta think like Dinah think. Be like cat, and you see with cat eyes. This way you see what she see's, and then you can talk to Dinah and see what Dinah see too."

Sylvia couldn't help but smile as Dinah left some meat for her. She chuckled at Shortfang's comment, and she bent down to give Dinah an appreciative pet on Dinah's head, murmuring, "Aw, thanks Dinah," She then focused on the next task, listening to Shortfang as he gave instructions. Sylvia nods to her friends when they reassured them that they will watch over Sylvia and Shortfang. She moved to sit, like she was going to meditate, and closed her eyes. She focused her mind just as Shortfang told her. She tried to think what it was like to be a cat. She probably had whiskers and a tail. She just had to focus, so that she could hear and see what Dinah hears and sees. After thinking and focusing for a moment, she opened her eyes, wondering what she will see when she opens them again.

You saw yourself, sitting on the ground in front of you. Suddenly you'd see a paw move to your face and you licking it. That's when you'd realize that you were now inside of Dinah's body, though without any direct control. You were merely observing what she could observe. Regardless it seems like it worked though, you were inside of Dinah's body. You could hear Shortfang speaking but not through your own ears but Dinah's. It was an odd experience to say the least. "Okay boss, now just tell Dinah where go. Or follow Syfr. He make sure to stay close." The owl hooted to get Dinah's attention before flying up and over. Now you just needed to command Dinah to go and she'll follow. Your actions were limited to only giving her mental commands, but otherwise she seemed to follow your orders as well as she could.

Sylvia was at first confused, but when she saw the paw in front of her and saw that Dinah licked her paw, it clicked for her. It worked! She was now seeing through Dinah's eyes. She heard Shortfang, but she couldn't answer back. So instead she followed Shortfang's advice. She mentally told Dinah, "Dinah. Follow Syfr. There's something we need to check out,"

The cat looked up at the owl who hooted again and flew off. Dinah followed after him, a little bit slower than the owl but she was able to easily avoid foot traffic by skirting the side, where everyone else was too big to get in her way. The two familiars would continue onwards alongside the docks until Syfr turned into an alleyway. In Dinah's eyes you could also see hanging from a single chain off the wall a sign with a barrel spilling some liquids out. This seemed to be the right place. Dinah followed Syfr into the alleyway as he sat on a barrel, unsure how to approach. There weren't really any openings big enough for the either of them, or at least nothing immediately obvious.

Sylvia looked around through Dinah's eyes, and she soon spotted the chimney. She also caught the whiff of tobacco. Wasn't this place supposed to be abandoned? She mentally told Dinah, "Dinah. Climb into the chimney. You should be able to enter from there. But be careful, I think some people may already be in there," She wondered if the gang is there...having a meeting already. If that was the case, then they could get some important information...

Dinah did as you told, climbing up into the chimney and carefully using her claws to work her way down. As she went further down you could barely hear some voices through the other side. It sounded gruff.

"Oi. Ya pick up some sausage or what? All ya got here is more of that weed shit!"

"Shove off I told ya I wasn't doing your shoppin. Ain't my fault you spending all your money on bitches and whores."

"Fucking hell I'm starving. You crap bastards keep eating through everything in the larder! Fucking hells."

"Shuddup. Patches said someone's bout to drop off yesterday's pay round this time. You can stuff your fat face once the money comes round."

"The hell with that. Patches always stealin our money away for that 'investment plant' of his. Why can't he just do an even eight split? We each get a hundred gold each, don't see why he can't just spend his earnings on whatever it is he's doing instead of taking a cut from us."

"I don't know and I don't give a damn. You got some problem about it you bring it up to him. This shit's easier than tossing boxes all day for those dock bastards. Earned hundreds more this past month than I ever had working hard years."

The conversation ended there with one of the voices grumbling about watching over the dead drop. Dinah tried to climb a bit more down, however any further and she was liable to fall right into the room, something she knew she didn't want to do and awaited your orders on whether she should stay, climb up, or drop down.

Sylvia listened in on the conversation. If she had been in her actual body, she would be shaking her head at them. The mention that someone was about to drop off the pay for yesterday this time around caught her attention. Her curiosity was piqued even more at the mention that Patches has an 'investment plan', and then they were grumbling about the dead drop box. She wondered if the map they found in the dead drop was meant to lead whoever was supposed to drop off the payment to them....

Hm...they might have accidentally thrown a monkey wrench in that plan. But still, what she heard could very well mean that the Lightning Company may have ben the ones dropping off payments to the gang from Erendal...

Seeing how Dinah tried to climb down a little further, but couldn't, Sylvia decided to tell Dinah, "Stay there, Dinah. Don't make a sound," She just hoped that Dinah can hold on, and listen in more on the conversation that may take place. Who knows...maybe Patches will enter the conversation.

Dinah stays as you ordered, however it doesn't seem like the men inside are in any mood for chatting any further. From the sounds it seems like it's just them. A few minutes would pass before finally one speaks up. "Bah! Waitin is boring. I'm going for a drink." Seemed like it was the one who was complaining about being hungry before. This left the lone voice alone to smoke in peace. It doesn't seem like there was much else that was going to happen unless you wait longer or make something happen.

Sylvia listened for any sign of a conversation, or for any sound that would indicate that someone would come in. However, nothing came except for one of them saying that they were going out for a drink. After hearing that, she decided to tell Dinah, "OK. Climb back up Dinah, but stay on the rooftops. Try and see if you can get a good look at who leaves and enters the building from there. Stay out of sight," She figured that if Dinah can see who is leaving, then she can see one of the members of the gang, as well as see who else comes into the particular building.

Dinah climbs out from the chimney and heads back to the rooftop. Syfr was there keeping an eye on things as you see a ruggish human man leave from a back door of the building. He gives it a firm tug before he walks further down the alley, stopping only to check a few barrels. He leaves empty-handed and continues on his way, disappearing around a corner. For a while not much else would happen until you do get to see something else come through the alley. It was a rather plain looking woman dressed in fairly normal looking clothing carrying a basket covered with a cloth. She walks through the alley, dropping off the content of her basket into the barrel before hurrying out. Dinah's nose was picking up a bitter-sweet scent from the woman, it reminded you of burnt cookies. Syfr also seemed to notice as he started flying back to the others, leaving Dinah eyeing the barrels with curiosity.

Sylvia would have raised an eyebrow at the sight if she could. Why had he been checking the barrels? Her question was answered with another peculiar sight. A woman dropped something off in one of those barrels. Whatever she put in that barrel...it smelled like somebody hadn't been watching the timer properly when they were baking cookies. She noticed that Dinah was eyeing the barrels with curiosity. She noticed that Dinah was eyeing the barrel curiously, and she couldn't blame Dinah. She was curious too. She told Dinah, "Why don't we take a look at what's in there, shall we Dinah? Keep an eye out on your surroundings though, and don't touch what's inside,"

Dinah made her way down into the alley and towards the barrel. The closer she got the stronger the scent. Smelled like whoever made these cookies didn't do a very good job at making them even if they weren't burnt; too much water enough flour. You could smell the charred sludge it has likely become. Dinah tried to find a way inside however the barrel's lid was too heavy for the tiny cat to lift. There were a few cracks in the barrel that would allow her to smell what's inside, but otherwise she wouldn't be able to move the barrel at all. That being said while she was looking around you would spot the sign of the Lightning Company scratched into the brick behind the barrel, something that Dinah apparently wasn't really paying attention to. She was trying to get inside of the barrel still. Suddenly though her head turned towards a sound in the alley. Sounds of panting. Around the corner came a mangy looking dog, sniffing around as well. Seemed like he also noticed the strange burnt cookie smell. And he now noticed Dinah.

Sylvia mentally face palmed herself, realizing that of course the barrel would be closed so that animals can't get inside, but it did smell like somebody really messed up on their cookie recipe. Too much water, not enough flour. Of course, she caught sight of the Lightning Company's mark in the brick. So this was another dead drop for them...
However, what Dinah heard and saw next, chilled Sylvia's blood. A mangy dog was attracted to the smell, and it just saw Dinah. She gasped, and didn't even hesitate. She snapped herself out of Dinah's vision and hearing, and quickly snapped her fingers to summon Dinah back to her, and out of that precarious situation. She pointed towards the space right in front of her, hoping to get Dinah out of there in time.

You could hear barking in the distance as you open your eyes to the world around you. Shortfang was mumbling something in that draconic language while Pylia and Buddy were watching over you two. Dinah mewed at you, pawing at your finger. “Oh, you’re back. Did you find out anything or run into some sort of danger?”

She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Dinah was back in front of her. But she honestly hoped that the barking didn't attract anyone who could have seen Dinah disappear. She hoped that her reflexes had been faster than that dog...
As she let out the sigh, she pet Dinah on the head, and she muttered "Good job, Dinah. Sorry about that," She then looked to her friends and she answered, "Oh yeah. Definitely found some important things out. I just hope nobody saw Dinah disappear though. She ran into a mangy dog. I'm pretty sure that dog is the one barking right now,"

She then stood up, with Dinah in her arms, and she informed her friends, "The gang...they've been getting their pay from the dead drop boxes with the Lightning Company's emblem on them. Tonight, someone's going to drop off their pay for yesterday. I think that was what the map we found was for. Patches has some sort of investment plan. A woman dropped off some badly made food, I think they were cookies, in a barrel. Near that barrel was the Lightning Company's emblem engraved in the brick. So they have other allies than just the corrupt guards and a nobleman's son,"

“Hmm... The conspiracy continues to unfold.” Pylia said outloud. She looked over to Shortfang who was still mumbling. “Shortfang has been telling us about the man who apparently left the hide out. He’s at the Throaty Mermaid right now and he seems to be quite drunk. Perhaps we could intercept him after he leaves and get some information from him?” Pylia suggests. “Or we could look into that dead drop. I bet it wasn’t just cookies that woman dropped off in that barrel.”

Sylvia thought over the suggestions for a moment, and she answered Pylia, "I don't think going back to that place to check out what was in the barrel's a good idea right now. The dog is barking, and there was one more person in that place. I wouldn't be surprised if the dog's put him on high alert now," She then continued on the other possibility, "As for the other possibility, we could certainly try that, but..." Her face then grimaced at the thought and she felt sick as she spoke, "Ugh. Considering the fact that they've been spending their money on women, and his attitude towards them...I wouldn't be surprised if he tried anything..."

Pylia grimaced. “Yeah... Honestly, maybe it’ll be best if we just catch him and interrogate him. Make sure he doesn’t try anything funny.” Pylia shook her head instead than motioned towards the alleyway. “I think I’d rather take my chances with the dog. I can lure it away with this meat here,” Pylia picks up the meat that Dinah has brought for you. It was a small amount but for a hungry dog it ought to be enough. “Distract the dog, grab whatever’s in the dead drop, then we go. If what you said is true I’m sure Patches’ gang lives here or something, so we can always come back later once we have more proof of their crimes.”