[i]"Prithee, calm yourselves. It will avail us little to spread ourselves thin, and less yet to be at each-other's throats."[/i] The robed figure responded to both the armoured warrior and the well-dressed rogue, their tone brooking no disagreement; though they seemed to take the latter's point in hand with their own advice, the strange noises from within their garb settling down as they spoke.

It may have been more a gesture of courtesy than the alternative, however. Though it was hard to read their body language through their garb and the heavy air that seemed to hang about them, they didn't seem bothered by the attention that the tallest of their number noted. It remained to be seen whether their skills beget confidence in their ability to handle the situation or if they were simply too single-minded to pay any mind to anything besides their target, but as the short witch in the black robe made a dramatic flourish to draw attention to her familiar's surveillance they seemed to nod along, raising a hand in assent.

[i]"Our quarry are fools, but they are not without sense. This quarter reeks with the scent of fire, masking that left by the forest's children."[/i] As they spoke in consensus, one of their familiars descended to land upon the hand they extended. Though it resembled an insect with a segmented body reminiscent of a wasp, and would appear to be little more than that when perceived at a distance, at this close proximity the contrast between the pitch black of its form and the vibrant green of its eyes and wings betrayed a rather more fantastic nature: as did the fashion in which its abdomen writhed like a sharply-barbed tail. 

[i]"And yet life is not so easily silenced. The spirits will find the trail, however thoroughly they believe it to have been scoured away." [/i]Even those present who didn't know of the history and rituals of the one commanding it would recognize that despite its austere appearance, the familiar was not greatly divorced in nature from those they were seeking to rescue. 

It seemed, however, that the first breakthrough of the night was by the grace of their companion rather than the myriad familiars among them. As the Lantern drew to a halt and gestured down the alleyway, they too paused as if checking their workings, before picking up their pace and peering around the wall down towards the strange, hulking figure. 

The warrior and the rogue once again seemed to exchange passive-aggressive remarks as they took stock of the situation; though this time the latter took the initiative and disappeared up the side of one of the buildings enclosing the alleyway and out of sight before the figure could fully turn to admonish them. A distorted sigh came forth from them, before they turned their attention to the warrior. 

[i]"Steady. It may seem a churl, but many a journey has ended on such a premise."[/i] Their tone was cautioning, albeit with a confidence that suggested they were simply recounting from experience. That experience seemed to give them a different idea of how to deal with the homunculus; without another word, they gestured forward with the hand the vespine familiar rested upon, bidding it forwards down the alleyway towards the entity. 

Perhaps they had a plan of action in mind already, or maybe they were simply casting a stone into stagnant waters, sending the spirit towards the hulking brute to get a feel for its behaviour and capabilities. Either way, the remainder of their familiars began to gather in the air above them, dispersed just enough that an outside observer wouldn't immediately process their numbers, while just close enough to [i]descend[/i] at a moment's notice.