a year after patroclus’ exile, patroclus tells achilles the story of how he killed clysonymus. achilles comments that he has never been bullied so he doesn’t know how he would have responded to clysonymus, but achilles ensures patroclus that he too would have been angry. patroclus begins spending more time with king peleus, and often listens to peleus’ tales from his youth.

the only place where patroclus does not join achilles is the cave where achilles goes to see his sea-nymph mother, thetis. pne day during patroclus’s second spring in phthia, achilles tells patroclus that thetis wants to see him. patroclus is hurt by thetis, noticing how much disdain she has toward him. thetis tells patroclus that he will be dead soon and how achilles will be a god. achilles tells patroclus later that evening that he does not know if he wants to be a god, but he is certain he wants to be a hero.