Part 2: Grendel's Demise
I was completely unaware of my young son's actions during the night. I never heard him leave the lake, even though I was lying in bed awake. Somehow I knew something was wrong, I had that feeling once before, when Grendel's father died in a battle with a human named Edgetho. I knew something grave was going to occur; if I had known that I could have stopped it, I would have. Then again if I would have known about the twelve years of bloodshed, I would have also stopped it; Grendel may have been larger than me, but I was and I will always be his mother!
I was startled by the sudden appearance of screaming I rushed to my son who floated down from the dry world. "Mother," Grendel cried before he collapsed into my arms unconscious. Blood gushed out of the wound where Grendel's arm once called home, I could not hold him very long and he fell out of my arms and landed in the corner of the dwelling. I knelt beside him tears flowing from my eyes. I sat in silent vigil until all life exited my dear child's body, and I wept until the morning came.
When the sun broke the darkness of the night, I found myself inundated with grief, I went into bed where I cried for many more hours, until a dreamless sleep came upon me. When I awoke night had fallen; I felt the need to understand what had transpired the night before, so I made my way to Herot, and to the great mead hall.