Soon after they resumed, the road crested a hill and began switching back and forth sharply, for the downgrade was very steep.
It was early afternoon when they reached the bottom, which was a dry ravine, although a culvert ran under the road here, perhaps as a precaution. On the other side the road switched sharply left, skirting the bottom of a short cliff of black rock. Into a break in the cliff face, the road switched sharply right. The break was a long gulley, and the road climbed precariously and steeply along its edge.
For an hour or so they toiled upward, wishing to put this stretch of the Old Road behind them. Once at the top, it levelled off again. Here, Belloc called for a rest stop.
Lily's legs were quivering as Anest set her down. They were both thankful for the rest. She was becoming uncomfortable and fidgety, and though she didn't complain, Anest was beginning to wonder about the limits of her endurance, and of the effects upon her of coming into contact with the spirit-children. He had planned on some of this, however. As they ate a light meal, he brought out a wineskin and made her drink a fair bit. By the time they mounted again, the wine's soporific effect on her had set in, and she was sleepy and irritable. Anest shifted Lily so that she rode sideways in his lap. As soon as she found a comfortable position, she was asleep.