How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Miri heard the lowlander traders complain, but she was accustomed to heaps of rock chippings underfoot, fine white dust in the air, and mallets beating out the sound of the mountain's heartbeat. (1.32)
The sound of quarry rock being harvested and the dust in the air may be annoying to other people, but to Miri and the other mountain folk, it's just a reminder that they're home. There's no place like Mount Eskel.
Quote #2
"You know how harmony sounds? That's how working linder feels." (7.4)
The mountain people don't just harvest the linder—they live with it and respect it deeply. That's why harvesting it is an emotional affair too; it makes people feel closer to the mountain and to each other.
Quote #3
All her life, Miri had been awakened by such a noise. It almost always came at night, as though the mountain knew the quarry was empty and the shifting rocks would not crush anyone in their fall. (7.75)
The people of Mount Eskel have this crazy belief that the mountain knows them well and senses their presence. After seeing how quarry-speech works, we can't totally rule that out.