On her way

On her way

Inanna was determined to get to the Underworld, in order to visit her sister. Before she started her journey she told to her FirstServant that if she doesn't return within 3 days, FirstServant should go to Inanna's fathers in order to get help for getting Inanna back from her sister's country. Inanna tried to contact Ereshkigal and telling her that she is coming to visit her -- but Ereshkigal
didn't reply.

The case wasn't that Ereshkigal didn't want to have her sister to visit her. Ereshkigal wanted to have Inanna's visit very much -- but she had also obligation to the Underworld tradition. According to this tradition whomever enter to the
Underworld cannot return back. And if somebody that has all those qualities like Inanna, would stay at the Underworld, probably will take over her kingdom. And Ereshkigal liked to be the Quinn of her domain...

Ereshkigal couldn't make up her mind. She asked her advisers what to do. And after hearing her advisers she decided to follow what her advisers told her.

On her way Inanna encountered a steep stair. At the top of the stair stood a guard, who demanded her to hand over one of her cloth that she was wearing. Inanna first was surprised... why would she give that guard what the guard wanted?
She didn't want to fulfill the guard's request. But the guard told her -- if she wouldn't want to fulfill his request -- he wouldn't let her to continue her journey. As I already told... Inanna was determined to visit her sister... so she handed over one of her garment the guard.