How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
Her silent challenge to Dan heartened her. She was a Mount Eskel girl. There was something she could do. (21.75)
No matter how much time Miri spends at the academy and how many lowlander customs she learns, she's still a mountain girl at heart. That's never going to go away.
Quote #8
She realized with sudden clarity that she did not want to live far away from the village where Mount Eskel's shadow fell like a comforting arm. The mountain was home—the linder dust, the rhythm of the quarry, the chain of mountains, the people she knew as well as the feel of her own skin. (23.34)
Mount Eskel will always be home to Miri, and no matter what the lowlanders think of the mountain, Miri knows it's a wonderful place and she'll never find another place like it.
Quote #9
Her thoughts were filling with the lush expectations of a quarry filled with snow, allowing everyone days of free time, of Marda and reading lessons, of winter at home with plenty of fuel and plenty of food. (24.8)
After the whole brouhaha with the bandits, Miri doesn't care about preparing for the prince's return—she just wants to hang out at home with the people she loves. It's practically time for winter break.