It had escaped most of the devastation with nothing more than a layer of dust. As sharur had in the brewing chamber, he noticed them because they were young and pretty.
It was their game, actually. The men were dragoons who wore brass helmets covered with drab cloth so the rising sun would not reflect from the shining metal to betray their position.
Perhaps it is a pin, in which case you should at once bend every effort to the discovery and removal of the irritant.