The Mountains Rise Read Online Free PDF

“Take the cittern with you, Daniel.”
    “To buy yarn?”
    “Everyone loves music, Daniel, and you have a fine hand with it,” Alan winked at his
     son. “You’ll thank me someday.”
     
    ***
    Brenda Sayer opened the door to their home and welcomed him in. Green eyes and thick
     auburn hair reminded Daniel immediately of Kate , and as he followed her , he couldn’t help but think of one of his father’s old pieces of advice, ‘If you want
     to know what a woman will look like, look at her mother.’
    Judging by Brenda Sayer, Kate had a wonderful future ahead of her. Her mother’s hips
     were full but healthy, much like her bosom, hinting that her daughter would have a
     magnificent figure someday. She glanced back at him over one shoulder, “Kate should
     be back in a moment. Would you like some tea?”
    Daniel quickly raised his eyes from where they had been, meeting her gaze awkwardly,
     “Actually, Mother sent me over to see if you have any yellow yarn.”
    “Oh,” replied Brenda with a faint smile of amusement. “I thought perhaps since you
     had your mandolin with you, you might play a little for us.”
    “Well, sure…,” he answered. He didn’t bother to correct her about the instrument’s
     name. The two were similar enough that it hardly mattered.
    “The air is cooler outside if you want to sit on the bench,” she offered. “I already
     have some tea made. I’ll be there in a second.”
    He took her advice and stepped back out onto the porch. The cittern he put within
     easy reach , and then he took a seat on the long oak bench that Kate’s father had built years
     ago, before he vanished into the deep forest.
    Brenda appeared a moment later and sat down beside him. Her hair carried a pleasant
     scent of heather and lavender. “The tea is cool, I’m afraid,” she told him. “I actually
     prefer it that way in this hot weather. You don’t mind do you?”
    “No ma’am,” he answered respectfully.
    “You’ve gotten awfully tall these days,” she continued, reaching over to tousle his
     hair. “You’re even taller than me when you’re sitting.”
    Daniel was only a month away from turning fifteen now , and he had grown considerably over the past year. His shoulders had broadened , and unlike some of his gangly peers , he had gained muscle to match his frame. He found himself slightly uncomfortable
     under Brenda’s appraising eye.
    “Mom says I might be even bigger than Dad by the time I’ve finished,” he told her.
    “Mother!” said Kate in obvious dismay. She had just appeared from the side of the
     house carrying a load of freshly picked greens from their garden. Her hands were
     covered with black soil , and her hair was tied back in a severe braid. She was flushed from the sun , and her skin had a faint sheen of sweat.
    Daniel thought she positively glowed. He stood to greet her, “Hi Cat.”
    Brenda spoke before her daughter could reply, “There you are.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me!? I’m a complete mess,” said Kate.
    “Well, I was just about to go let you know…” said her mother somewhat helplessly.
     She sounded more amused than apologetic.
    “I’ll be right back Daniel,” said Kate , after shooting her mother a blistering glance. She put the load of greens on the
     edge of the porch and went back to use the washbasin they kept near the back entrance
     of their home.
    “Did she seem a bit flustered to you?” asked Kate’s mother with a grin.
    Daniel blushed, “I-I don’t see why.”
    She gave him a glance that for a moment seemed almost predatory, “Oh, I’m pretty sure I see why.”
    Kate reappeared a moment later. Her hands were clean now , and her face had been freshly washed. She might have brushed her hair as well; it seemed uncommonly smooth despite no longer being braided. “Hello Daniel,” she
     said, beginning fresh.
    “Hello Kate,” he responded before coming to a full stop. His mind struggled to find
     something to say.
    “Mrs.