[ It's Iorveth's job to have conviction when no one else does: that's the whole point of him, stateless radical that he is. If he loses hope, an entire group of people who depend on him despair－ he's acclimated to that responsibility, and he extends it here, too, for this particular circumstance. Force of (bad?) habit.

Poor Astarion, having to deal with Iorveth's terminal inability to live without regrets. They truly are opposites of each other in every way, and once upon a time, Iorveth might have thought that they disagree about the things that really matter. But, again, Iorveth doesn't love easy. He likes friction, rapport, a back-and-forth.

Which is why he considers Astarion's assertion, and counters it with one of his own. ] The opposite, I think. She mentioned me as an item because she wanted to barter with you. And if she's the one causing your nightmares, she's doing it to weaken your resolve.

[ Why? He has no idea. But a mortal thrall is likely less useful than an immortal one, and barring that, Iorveth mirrors Astarion's assumption that, if he were a terrible old hag, he'd want Astarion for himself. ]

But I tire of this farce. Cast invisibility on me, and I'll infiltrate the damned shop. I'll put every cloak I can get my hands on in a bag, set the place on fire, and leave.

[ full scorched earth mode ]