Any chance that while Neth was pulling himself free, Galingal could have thrown another Guiding Bolt down at the squishy, water creature?

If so: Attack: 18 Damage: 19  second attack roll if disadvantage: 23  

The bright light shoots through the water and impacts on the bottom before fading.

"He dead?"

"I do not think so," Galingal says. "It move quick."

Galingal continues polling as fast as possible, now that the boat is not being held by the creature.

Lia runs to the side of the boat looking for Neth, “Wait!… Neth. He’s still down there!….”. She peers into the depths…

((Perception at disadvantage.))

Lia’s perception (dis.): 7 

Lia can't make out Neth or the creature, but the water seems still.

Lia heads briskly to the back of the boat, removing her Lyre and thrusting it at the first person she goes past, “Take this”.

She gets to the rail at the back of the boat and without missing a beat steps on the rail and dives headfirst in after Neth.

She swims directly to where the boat had been and where they’d last seen and fought the water creature.

((Any sign?))

Lia dives into the cold water, and looking around, doesn't see any sign of Neth.

((She would perhaps have seen him swim away from the boat, and then start struggling as the creature caught up to him.))

Neth swims towards the surface, spotting Lia as he continues. He makes a quick flash of light (prestidigitation) to get Lia’s attention, then motions to the surface. He surfaces from the water and climbs aboard the boat, shaking water off himself.

“Well that went well enough. Smooth sailing from here!”

"Kill creature?" Galingal asks.

While waiting for an answer, he looks around for Lia, offering her a hand or the end of the pole to help her get back aboard. 

Stena looks at Neth awaiting the response.

She then turns to stare at the KT. After it is thoroughly uncomfortable she asks it,

"What are ye doing here and where were ye going?"

Lia is glad to see Neth resurface after initially catching no sign of him. When he breaks the water she says, relieved, “Neth, you’re okay?!… is that thing gone?… Are you alright?…”.

She swims back to the boat and gladly takes a hand back up onto the deck. She undoes her hair and shakes it out to the side, wringing it out, and starting the job of re-braiding it up out the way again.

She’ll listen eagerly to Neth’s report. And then start to help with the oars again, either to move on, or to shuffle the boat back into the nook they had already chosen earlier now the threat has gone.

((@DM: is the KT the one she recognised from the tavern? Or is it the other one?))

(Neth still has bardic inspiration if he needs it for anything in the next 10ish minutes)

“Oh I believe it’s dead”, Neth responds happily. “It had hood me for a moment but things just worked out. I think it’s gone for good, everything should be fine.”

He thanks Lia for coming in after him and moves to help row.

Galingal looks intently at Neth. He seems different? Is he hiding something?

Insight: 25  

He seems... happy? Optimistic even? Not something that Galingal has seen much of here in the Underdark... or in his life, for that matter. It could just be that it's an emotion that Galingal isn't much accustomed to, but something does seem a bit odd about the tiefling's suddenly sunny disposition, and lack of details about what happened down there, besides 'it just worked out'.

There must be more than he's letting on.

Stena narrows her eyes at Neth, who once again is up to something water related.

Insight: 13