- Our protagonist, Miri, wakes up hoping that today will be the day that she gets to go work in the quarries with her father and big sister, Marda.
- Alas, her father tells her that she can't come along and that if the traders come today, she should try to get a good trade to make him proud.
- Even though all the other kids have been helping out in the quarry for years, Miri isn't allowed to. She thinks maybe it's because she's so small, even though she's fourteen now.
- She and Marda work on the inside chores, and at noon Marda leaves for the quarry and Miri is alone again.
- The economy of Mount Eskel revolves around linder, a precious stone that they mine in the quarries. The townsfolk who work in the quarries (pretty much everyone) communicate to each other in quarry-speech as they work, which is a way of talking without actually speaking aloud. Yeah, we don't get it either.
- Miri picks up a miri flower (which she's named for) and starts to make a wish about her and a boy named Peder. Looks like someone's got a crush…
- A trumpeting sounds out and Miri catches up with Peder (the cute boy in this story) to go check out what the big deal is. It's probably lowlanders—their word for people who live below the mountain.
- Bena and Liana—a couple pretty girls from the village—wave Peder over and he goes to stand with them. Miri goes to stand with Marda instead. Jealous much?
- A messenger comes and tells them that the king of Danlander (which Mount Eskel is a part of) has declared that the prince's bride will come from Mount Eskel, based on an ancient rite performed by the priests.
- Because of this, all girls between the ages of twelve and seventeen will have to go to a school near the mountain pass, and in a year, the prince will come to meet all the girls and pick his bride. Um… this sounds like a reality dating show, right?