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He wasn’t sure how much time passed after the two brothers fled the cave. Maybe minutes, maybe hours. He couldn’t know for sure. Ghazan knew only one thing: if that firebender had joined the battle, something had happened. She wouldn’t have let the boy go, just run away, like that. He had to find her. She had to be there.
Pushing dread from his mind, he tunneled his way out through rubble and slag. Ghazan had easily fooled the boys. A lavabender of such power as he could not die so easily. But…let them believe he was dead. Now, he had concerns greater than them.
Having finally cleared the rubble which, silly as it might sound, had saved his life, he searched desperately for her. Where could she be? What had that scrawny brat done? Maybe he’d gone for the White Lotus? Or had the Avatar carried out her threat? His head buzzed with unanswered questions.
He was distracted by the echoes of dripping water. An underground pond? Ghazan quickly found the crevice and dropped through.
It didn’t take long to find her. He ran up to her, sat down beside her and did not know what to do. Time stood still, as if she were the only thing real in his world. Like a broken doll, she lay there, so fragile and quiet, seemingly lifeless. His heart skipped a few beats. Ghazan tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and gently touched her cheek, as if she were made of porcelain and would shatter.
“Ming-Hua,” he whispered softly. There was no answer.
Gently, Ghazan touched his hand to Ming-Hua’s throat, and felt a weak pulse.
Alive.
In an instant, hope returned to him. For a brief moment, Ghazan almost believed that they could disappear into the world in the confusion, live their lives out in peace. But those were thoughts for later. Now, the primary concern was to get her away from here, from the site of their defeat.
“You’ll be fine. Nobody will hurt you. I promise.”