Summary

Chapter 2 describes how Grendel comes to find the outside world. Many years ago, he was content to stay only in his mother’s cave. While exploring the darkness, he finds a pool with hundreds of firesnakes swimming around. He dives in and sees the moon for the first time. Each night he reemerges and explores a bit farther each time. His mother doesn’t like his leaving her so often. She sometimes tries to hold him close to her like she wants him to be a part of her again. He still explores slightly comforted that his mother cares for him, though she only shows it physically.

The next time he goes out, Grendel gets himself stuck in a rotting tree. Nobody can hear his calls, so he waits to die. Soon after, a bull appears. The bull charges at the tree and initially cuts Grendel...