While Nicias wondered the underground halls in search of Shila it also gave him a chance to get a feel of his surroundings. One thing he always needed to know when entering a place was how to get out. Sure being an earthbender gave him more ways out then everyone else but knowing the preferred escape route was also a good thing as well. He didn’t actively look for them but he was mindful of his surrounding kept an eye out for them. With such a large place and so few people the halls seemed almost empty. It was strange, he noted, that they seemed exceptionally empty at the moment. 

As he continued his slow and steady search he eventually found where everyone else was. It seemed to be a gathering of just about everyone in the group. As he scanned the small crowd for Shila he caught sight of a bold figure. The man was wearing waterbender clothing, complete with wolf-tooth earrings ad a white-skinned mantle. That wasn’t the kind of thing you wore unless you wanted to make a statement. Nicias watched the man for a while as he seemed to make a quick circuit around the room. It wasn’t until the man spoke to Nicias that he figured out who he was. By then he had had is suspicions and theories but they were laid to rest with the very brief exchange of words. 
With that mystery laid to rest he moved to the edge of the room and put his back against the wall. Slowly he scanned the room looking for shila. He thought that her red hair would stand out but maybe she just wasn’t there yet. After all, he had stumbled into this meeting without much of an invitation or heads up. It was possible, though unlikely, that she wasn’t told either. So instead of leaving to look for her, he waited there in hopes she would arrive.