Kirin loses his tail within fifteen minutes. The city is swarming, though, the entirety of the Guard turned out just to find him. It's a thrill, for sure, but it's also a little worrying, because it's not just him; his entire gang is being hunted right now. He doesn't like that. Sure, they can take care of themselves, but still. This tip-off had to have come from someone who knew them, knew their movements and where they'd be and when they'd be most vulnerable--which means they've been betrayed. Probably by Check, the absolute bastard.

He takes a hard right and goes over the low wall there, avoiding the guard walking down the street.

Kirin grimaces. He'd like to simply lie low for a while, maybe even get out of the city entirely, but he needs to make sure his people are okay first. He heads out of the city, towards the Delta outskirts, and circles around to head back towards their safehouse along the mostly-unused sewer systems.

There are only three people there when he gets there, all of them younger street-rats whom the Guard would have overlooked in the raid. They're wide-eyed and skittish, a little ragged around the edges. Kirin feels the same--their world has just been ripped out from underneath them--but he can pull off cool-headed and competent right now; they need him to be in control of himself. He gathers them to him, quickly debriefs them all, and sends them off for food and rest, taking the first watch himself.

A few other members trickle in over the next few hours. Lexon, of course, has escaped easily enough, no doubt leading half the Guard on a merry chase around the city first. Cress is there, a small group huddled at his heels, grimly quiet with the seriousness of the situation. Both of them bring news--Lark has been caught, and Nathan and Corin both stayed behind to buy time for the others to escape.

Kirin swears under his breath. He wouldn't leave any of his behind, can hardly bear the thought of it now, but especially not Lark, laughing and surviving by the skin of his teeth, always looking for the next thrill. Not Nathan, deceptively sharp under his dreamy exterior. Not Corin, who would step forward to face a threat to protect anyone.

Lyria shows up next, leading another group of younger members, Aliah bringing up the rear, all dark eyes and glittering knives. There's blood splattered on her shoes, and Kirin doesn't ask when she doesn't volunteer the information. If it's important, she'll tell him. Otherwise, he will leave her to wrestle her demons as she sees fit.

In the end, it's determined that roughly two thirds of their group escaped--mostly due to Corin and Nathan stalling the initial raid.

Fuck. He has to fix this, but the Keep's dungeons are notoriously impenetrable.

Well, it's not like he has much of a choice. Kirin sends one of the little runners, scamps all of them, for a map.

It's time to plan a breakout.