“Yes, yes, of, of course, uh! You!” He points at one of his compatriots. “Flip the stopper on the windmill, we’re getting ‘im down!”

There’s a lot of grumbling, but they are in fact very quick about getting down and releasing the very dizzy deep gnome into Astarion’s custody. Shortly after he’s brought down, the poor man throws up. It’s on the nearest goblin. The nearest goblin happens to be the same one currently being tormented by Astarion.

“Fucking shit eating—!”

"Nah ah ah," tuts Astarion, wagging a finger left to right at the goblin. "Say 'thank you'."

(Ivetrielle approves.)

(And also giggles.)

The goblin looks rather like he'd rather jump off a cliff, but:

".... Thank you."

(Lae'zel approves.)

(Shadowheart disapproves.)

"Now run along, darlings, we have a brand new slave to use."

The goblins will wait until they're out of (ordinary) earshot to begin muttering their expletives, but rest assured: expletives are muttered.

Astarion is an elf, so ordinary earshot doesn't cut it. They are very lucky that he isn't actually a True Soul who got drunk on power from the Absolute, and most importantly that he doesn't give a shit, because they'd be so fucked if he were or did.

The 'brand new slave' has finished emptying the contents of his stomach, and is looking at his 'new master' with a mix of distaste and resignation.

"Oh, do you now. And how, pray tell, are you planning to put me to work. Because I'd rather you just get on with it."

"Hmmmm... take a step to the left."

The deep gnome gives him a deeply long suffering look, then does in fact step to the left. He guesses. Under protest.

"Excellent! That was all the use I had for you. You're free."

(...Shadowheart approves? She thinks?)

(In a roundabout way, so does Lae'zel, kind of.)

".... Right. When does the inevitable extortion start, then?"

Ivetrielle sighs.

"Astarion, you realize it's much easier if you just tell the poor man 'Hello, that was a lie to get you off of there,' instead of playing mind games with him. Hi, are you injured, I can do some healing if so."

"What? No, no, I'm fine, now that I'm back on solid ground."

"But it's so much funnier this way." He sighs dramatically. "Fine, fine, this side quest is yours anyway. Hello, that was a lie to get you off of there, our bleeding heart druid wanted to rescue you and I wanted to curry favour with her and also to fuck with some goblins."

"The bleeding heart druid would be the one wearing leaves, yes? ... Well. Thank you for your help. You can take my pack, if you can find it, I left it somewhere...." he waves vaguely in a direction. "Over there-ish. Should have dropped the damn thing to outrun those bastards, that'll teach me to pack lightly from now on..."

... They're not actual leaves, they just... look like leaves.

He pats her on the shoulder. There there dear it's fine, they're pretty leaves.

"I do have one question, though, or perhaps maybe a topic. Now I'm not one to go back on my word so if you just wish to tell us to fuck off we will go fetch our quest rewards and be on our way, but..."

"But?" says Barcus, raising his eyebrows.

"Just how did you get attached to a windmill?"

"...seriously?"