Inigo could hardly believe his ears hearing Lloyd talk. What were the chances that this small village, in the middle of nowhere, would contain someone who could lead them to the Grimleal? By the looks of it, Chrom and Robin had trouble believing it too.

"You know where to find one what?" Robin said, "A Grimleal base of operations, or an individual?"

"An agent of the Grimleal," Lloyd said, "a high-ranking member seeking valuable information about the Great Awakening." His lips pulled once more into the small grin that was becoming his most defining feature. "I can tell you where he will be and when he will be there."

"We have encountered Grimleal agents before," Chrom said, "in ambushes and the like. They are usually not willing to cooperate."

"But, have you found one that desires to return? One that has higher ambitions than to sacrifice themselves for 'the cause?'" Lloyd said, "One who values their own life more than the lives of their comrades?"

Lloyd had a point, Inigo thought. If this Grimleal agent was not a warrior, not so attached to the Grimleal's sick ideology, perhaps there could be an opportunity to convince him, in one way or another, to bring the Shepherds to their base.

"And what makes you so sure that this particular agent is so eager to sacrifice his friends to spare his own life?" Robin said.

Lloyd eyed Robin. "Because I know him personally. He is originally from this village, after all."

Inigo glanced at Lucina to gauge her reaction. She was standing firm, her eyes narrowed in suspicion at Lloyd and Llewellyn. To be fair, it did seem a bit convenient that the Shepherds would find someone that could lead them to the Grimleal, so soon after fears began to be murmured in the ranks that trying to track down Validar was a lost cause.

"If I may, Lloyd," Chrom said, "Am I correct to assume you informed our scouts that there may be information in this village about the Grimleal?" Inigo could not see his father's face but saw Lloyd's reaction; his signature grin faltered.

"I did," Lloyd said, "through Llewellyn and some others. It was the only way I could be sure you would come, so that we could form an agreement on what to do with Plegia after the Grimleal are no longer a threat."

"And what guarantee do we have that what you say is the truth," Chrom replied, "and not the lies of a man desperate to get his ideas heard?"

Lloyd glanced over to Llewellyn, who said nothing, but looked to him with slight concern. Lloyd reached into his jacket pocket, to the slight concern of Inigo and the other Shepherds, only to pull out a sheet of paper that had been folded up, and hand it out to Chrom, who after a moment, grabbed and unfolded it. Robin peered over to read alongside Chrom.

There was at least a whole minute of pregnant silence as Chrom and Robin read the paper, and Inigo could not help but notice that both Lloyd and Llewellyn looked somewhat nervous.

"This man, Holland," Chrom said, the surprise evident in his voice, "he will be meeting you in two days' time?"

Lloyd's nervousness finally regressed to his slight grin. "'In the usual spot,' as the letter says, to discuss what I would be willing to give from my father's collection of books. Anything that might prove useful to the Grimleal."

"And where is this 'usual spot?'" Robin asked.

Lloyd answered with a grin. "Perhaps I could show you…if you would be willing to implement my proposal."

Inigo had to give Lloyd this, the man was clever.

Both Chrom and Robin looked to each other, then back to Lloyd. "Could you give us a moment to discuss this matter privately?"

"Take all the time that you need," Lloyd said, turning around with Llewellyn to head towards the crowd of Plegian villagers. Chrom and Robin walked back towards the Shepherds, where Lucina, Cordelia, Lissa, Frederick, and some others stepped closer to hear what they had to say.

Chrom cleared his throat as he looked at the paper once again, before turning it so that others could see it. "This letter claims that a Grimleal agent by the name of Holland will come in two days to meet with Lloyd in a spot outside this village," Chrom said.

"Can we be sure it is genuine?" Lucina asked.

Robin pointed to the wax seal at the top of the page. "This is Validar's personal seal as the King of Plegia," he said, "no villager, no matter how clever, could fake something like that."

"Then how did this Holland guy get a hold of it?" Lissa asked, which was a fair question now that Inigo thought about it.

Chrom turned the letter back to him. "A king may seal personal letters if they carry his blessing," he said, "it ensures the mail coaches understand the letter's importance and take care not to lose it."

Chrom handed the letter to Robin, then looked to his compatriots with an honest face. "We have not had a lead like this before. It took us nearly a week at the chateau just for the hint that there might be something in this village."

"That's still a huge promise to make!" Lissa said, "what if this Holland guy just clams up like the rest of them? Then we have nothing, but Lloyd still gets his promise!"

"A promise that means nothing, milady," Frederick said, "so long as Validar is still king."

Chrom looked to Frederick with understanding. "It can't be a trap," he said, "because he needs us to get rid of Validar. His plan can't work any other way."

"Assuming it can work at all," Lucina said. Inigo was surprised at the peevishness in her tone. What had Lloyd done to get so under her skin?

"If I may, milord," Frederick said, "if this man's proposal is implemented, then Plegia will exist as a fractured continent, their leaders too concerned with their own affairs to strike Ylisse again."

Chrom grunted in thought. "Still…Lloyd is asking us not only to create a power vacuum by removing the Grimleal, but keep it going in a new, untested system. What is to stop Plegia from falling into chaos once again?"

"Chaos does not necessarily hurt us, milord," said Frederick.

"Perhaps not," Chrom replied. He indicated behind him slightly, "but it will hurt them."

A moment of silence passed, Robin still reading, others running the idea over in their head. Inigo could understand Chrom and Lucina's hesitation; what Lloyd was proposing had never been attempted, at least not seriously, in any recent history. The council idea supposedly existed thousands of years ago in long-dead countries, but to bring it back now, when the framework Lloyd provided was so ill-defined? To mar a victory against Validar by making his successors unable to defend or protect their people from themselves or outsiders?

On the other hand, however, Chrom could understand Lloyd's determination. Looking at him and his fellow villagers now, he could not help but see how lean they had become. There were perhaps one hundred villagers in the crowd, but the homes surrounding it could easily hold two or three hundred. Something told Inigo that this disparity was not because these villagers valued the extra floor space.

Robin audibly folded back up the letter. "I think we should do it."

Lucina looked surprised at Robin, but the others simply turned to him to hear him out. Robin held the paper up. "He couldn't have faked this. Even if this Holland turns out to be a dead end, it is the only serious lead we have."

"And what about the council?" Frederick asked.

Robin simply shrugged. "I guess we can cross that bridge when we get there."

Chrom looked at Robin, then back to the villagers. Inigo could hear an audible groan from his father. "Emmeryn was always more adept at politics," he mumbled, before walking back towards the Plegians. Robin accompanied him.

Llewellyn tapped Lloyd's shoulder, and he turned from his conversation with another villager to walk toward the Ylissean prince and tactician. They stood right back where they did before, both seemingly expecting the other to speak first.

Chrom broke the silence. "Provided you help us capture and interrogate this Holland…and lend your services to the cause of the Shepherds…" Chrom hesitated. "I promise you that I will personally see to it that your idea of a Plegian council is implemented."

Murmurs and whispers pervaded from the crowd of Plegians, and Llewellyn turned to Lloyd with a surprised, open-mouthed smile. Lloyd, for his part, looked shocked, as if he did not expect Chrom to actually say yes. The shock was quickly erased by a hard gulp from Lloyd as Chrom stuck out his hand. Lloyd looked at it for a moment, before clasping his around Chrom's in a firm shake.

…

Lloyd invited Chrom, Robin, and whoever else they felt necessary to join in a private meeting within Lloyd's home to discuss the particulars of the plan. Lucina, Inigo, and Frederick were chosen by Chrom, while Robin, strangely, chose Virion to accompany them to strategize. All of them joined Lloyd and Llewellyn in a home that, by the standards of the village, was above average in size, but by the standards of nobility, was horrendously small.

It was made of bricks with a thatched roof, elevated off the brown and pale green ground by a few slabs of limestone. The main room was flanked by two wings, one that was clearly a kitchen by the look of the chimney, and one that was presumably a bedroom. Llewellyn's head almost hit a ceiling of wood that looked covered with sheets or tarp of some kind, clearly meant to protect the series of bookshelves that surrounded the main room. A table with eight chairs was the centerpiece of the home, with an ancient candelabra in its center. No other furniture besides the bookshelves was present, though the shelves were eye-catching enough. Some held books, others rolled up maps and scrolls, still others had quills and ink with various trinkets of wood and tin. The flag of Plegia hung sadly along an otherwise barren wall.

"Do you all want anything?" Lloyd asked, "tea, water, something to eat?"

Chrom looked around as he entered with his party. "No, I don't believe that will be necessary."

"I am going to have some tea for myself, are you sure you don't want any?"

Chrom looked back to his comrades. Most shrugged, except for Inigo and Virion, who nodded, Virion quite excitedly so. "I…suppose if your making it, we can have some as well."

"Ell, would you please put some water on the stove?" Llewellyn nodded in understanding, and, with one last glance at his guests, departed into the small kitchen, ducking under the doorway.

"You," Virion said, "reside together?"

"Of course," Lloyd said, "he is my older brother, after all."

"Does he…ever talk?"

Lloyd looked at Virion with his small grin. "Only when he has something to say." Lloyd gestured to the table and bid everyone to sit down, which they did, as he rummaged around the shelves. Finally settling on a light blue scroll, Lloyd grabbed two small polished rocks and walked to the table. Unrolling the scroll and using the stones as paperweights, he revealed a well-drawn surveyors map of the village, with houses and plots of land meticulously sketched. In curved letters in the upper left-hand corner, the name of the village was finally revealed, Scarlet Town. Most seemed not to notice the name, but Inigo, strangely, seemed surprised to see that name in particular.

"Holland and I have met here a few times before," Lloyd said. "Never the in village itself; most of my friends have lost their affinity for the Grimleal, and besides, they would rather keep their embarrassing search for information a secret."

He pointed to a spot on the map just northeast of the village center. "We usually meet here, very early in the morning, before most people are up and about, beside the old well in the center of the rye field."

"What is the cover like by this well?" Robin asked. "Are there trees? Tall bushes? Anything to hide behind?"

"The rye is only three feet tall. We chose that spot specifically because there was nowhere to hide and listen in."

Robin and Virion peered at the map in concentration. "Perhaps an ambush is not necessary," Frederick said, "After all, it is only one man we need to capture."

"Holland is quick and full of tricks," Lloyd said, "he always ends our meetings by disappearing in a cloud of smoke."

"Teleportation?" Robin said. "That complicates matters..."

"What is the maximum distance a magic user could go with teleportation?" Lucina asked.

"Even a very skilled magician could only go about a mile," Robin said, "and it would take time for him to do so again."

"We could space units around a mile radius of the well," Virion suggested.

Chrom shook his head. "There is no cover. Holland would spot them long before he got to the well, and few of the Shepherds have the stealth necessary to walk all that distance in the open without getting spotted."

Lucina was looking at the map in concentration, when she realized Inigo was humming very softly to himself, his mouth twitching slightly without opening. His gaze was fixated on the map, and his eyes showed that he was focused. Had he ever hummed when he was deep in thought before, Lucina wondered. Was this another trait of his she had somehow missed?

Inigo's eyes suddenly widened, and his mouth opened, but it took a second for words to come out. "Buried," he said. All eyes turned to him. He met their gaze. "What if we buried ourselves in the rye field to surround him?"

Lucina looked at Inigo incredulously. "What do you mean bury? Like, we cover ourselves in dirt?"

"We dig holes," Inigo said his hands illustrating, "with sheets of wood on top covered in dirt. When the moment is right, we jump out, and we have him surrounded."

Virion's hand went to his chin. "Do you not think this Holland would see mounds of fresh dirt in a mile ring around the rye field?"

"What if its not a mile out?" Robin said, "What if…its right inside of it. Right around the well."

Lloyd looked at Robin. "The field is scheduled to be re-tilled tomorrow," he said, "the dirt in the field itself would be disturbed by the tills. No one would notice fresh dirt from the holes."

"A few holes only feet away from the well," Virion continued, "if we synchronized our attack, we could have him completely surrounded."

"He cannot teleport if anyone is holding on to him," Robin said. He looked to Lloyd, "do you think you could grab him for a few critical moments where the others exit their holes?"

"Of course," Lloyd said, "but, Holland will get desperate if he's startled. If he cannot teleport, he will probably use every dirty trick he can imagine to get out of harm's way."

"We are no strangers to that kind of mindset," Robin said. He pulled out a small pen from his cloak, pointing to the map. "If we place holes with covers on them in four spots surrounding the well, we could have someone in contact with him while we try to take his mana crystals. Without them, he can't teleport, and we'll take him down until he's ready to talk."

"Assuming we can keep in contact with him for that long," Virion said, "a man that desperate to escape might throw himself down the well, using teleportation once no one is touching him."

"Could we board up the well?" Chrom asked.

"No," Lloyd said, "He's seen it too many times, and it's an old well. Anything new about it would make him nervous, which would make him harder to catch."

"What if," Virion said, "We use that to our advantage." He pointed to the map with his finger. "Somebody awaits in the well to grab him if he dives in, while the four doors sit right outside of it. His only escape route is covered."

"Provided he is held unto long enough," Lucina reminded. She looked Lloyd square in his brown eyes. "Are you sure you can keep your hold on him until we get there?"

Lloyd's eyes narrowed in response. "The importance of this is not lost on me," he said. "I will grab him. I will hold unto his cloak and hair. I will hold on as he kicks and yells, but he will try to use magic." He turned to Chrom and Robin. "If you are not out and ready to grab him in three seconds, I can't guarantee I can hold him any longer than that."

Chrom let out a small sigh. "Three seconds to determine the fate of the world."

Lucina could sympathize with her father, as it was no exaggeration. Fate was often determined like that. A few seconds, a missed opportunity, a chance not taken; all were potent in changing the course of lives. They would not give up, of course, even if Holland managed to escape; they would have to find another way to Validar. She had not come this far to be stopped by a game of hide-and-seek.

Still, even Lucina had to admit that that was easier said than done, as this was truly their only lead. It was unquestionably their single best opportunity to find the Grimleal before they found the key to their ritual. If Holland was captured and willing to talk, the Grimleal could not only be found, but taken by surprise. All they had fought for, their odyssey across time would finally prove fruitful; fate would be changed; a new destiny realized.

There was no room for error. They almost certainly would never get such a chance again.