Growing pains

His dark green eyes flicked between hers as she began to explain a few examples for his question. He imagined his recent fight with a polar bear and how he slashed at the bear and then used its own weight against it and hooked the thin flesh between its leg and side to bring it down and rake its belly.
He was fighting and protecting at the time... Was there a difference?

He smiled sheepishly and tried to look anywhere but her as she mentioned that he was quite interested in her teachings, he was, he admits. She seemed particularly capable and strong herself.
"Well... okay... so earlier..." Suddenly he was stumbling over his words about questions as he turned back to her "Um... When you said knowing when to fight and when to protect... What's the difference? When you're protecting, you're fighting, right?" He asked.

"Speech"