[ Astarion isn't as grateful as he should be that the tiefling holds him steady during the worst of the winds. Instead, he bristles slightly, hands moving to smooth the wrinkles Verity made in his clothing — before realizing that it doesn't matter anyway, because his clothes are already ruined by the rainstorm, soaked all the way through. ]

No, [ he says, glancing back up at Verity. ] The little nuisances are faster than I expected.

[ He intends to dismiss Verity and leave it at that, but the more devious part of his mind tells him not to. Here's a helper who's been dropped right into his lap. All he has to do is figure out how to keep the entirety of the reward for himself after the tiefling has done the work. ]

—But I'm certain we could clear them out if we put our minds to it. Teamwork, yes?