Fellow protégé, a pusillanimous type (6)
I believe the answer is:
coward
'a pusillanimous type' is the definition.
(I know that cowards are pusillanimous)
'fellow protege' is the wordplay.
'fellow' becomes 'co' (eg a co-worker is a fellow worker).
'protege' becomes 'ward' (both can mean a child in someone's care).
'co'+'ward'='COWARD'
(Other definitions for coward that I've seen before include "One lacking in courage" , "Composer of "Mad Dogs and Englishmen"" , "Person lacking courage" , "who lacks guts?" , "with his tail between his legs" .)