Ardis & Yorrick, Ruins Entrance

Yorrick was stooped over two of the remaining packs, taking stock of what they were provided. Ardis was engaged in an interview with one of Calcelmo's assistants. It was near inane prattle from both the noise of moving the contents of the packs, and a general lack of caring.
Ardis had taken out one of his gadgets, a hollowed out reed, filled with ink, with a narrow opening for the ink to flow from.
"The order was decided by random selection. Everyone had their name drawn at random, the first names called placed in the first group with Almerion and his Man-Servant, or Orc-Servant I should say. When they departed, the names for the second group were called, then the third group. The Jarl wanted it done in equal measure, with no possible favoritism."
Ardis' reed scratched madly to keep up with the assistant. "How would you describe this first group?" Ardis quickly threw in.
"Quite varied. The usual people you would expect to see delving into Dwemer ruins, but then there was a tipsy scholar type, a particularly fierce looking man, with a Dwemer gear around his neck, and then there was the tribal. I think most people were looking at her. Then, of course, Old Man Almerion and Mashab, someone I think was a Thalmor agent, and the twitchy Argonian. Those were the one's that stuck out in the group."
Yorrick straightened his back, then flexed his left arm to work out the stiffness. His appraisal was that they had food for two, maybe two and a half weeks. If they could find water, that could be stretched out into a vile tasting, but filling, stew. He reached into his pack, and drew out a bolt of yellow cloth, and drew a small dagger.
The assistant looked over, commenting, "We provide you with ribbons to keep track with, sir."
Yorrick turned to face the young man, and held out a handful of black ribbon.
"Everyone will have these. Mine are different, harder to mess with. That way, I know my ribbon," Yorrick ground out, then turned back to his cutting.
The assistant turned to Ardis, "Does he think someone will actually tamper with his ribbons?"
Ardis Looked the assistant full in the eyes, "Never doubt a man when money becomes a factor. Or better yet, doubt everything about him. Yorrick is safe for me, because I am his payday. He makes money, I keep all my organs in my body, everyone leaves happy and hopefully with all their original orifices. And besides, that isn't the only trick for navigation we have."
Ardis reached into his satchel, and pulled out a metal frame, with a sliding piece attached to the top.
"I call this the Auto-Etcher. It has a piece of charcoal right in the slider. A foot above where Yorrick ties his ribbon, I'll be taking an etching. Just to be twice as sure of our location."
The assistant looked to be in simultaneous awe and utter confusion. As Ardis showed the ability of his Auto-Etcher, Yorrick took a moment to rub his temples. A deep thrumming had been there for the last several days.
"Of all the people, why do I hear The Call so much stronger?" he pondered to himself.