Discontinued, but not Forgotten

A white owl glided through the snow covered branches. Its shadow flicked over the ground, in and out, as the little light which broke through the frozen trees was lost and found again. Spreading its wings it flapped them, once, twice, and then landed on one of the frosted branches. Below stood a solitary figure shivering from the cold. His skin, an unhealthy shade of dark yellow, was exposed to the biting air for the full length of his arms and most of his face. While his pants were long enough to stretch down to his padded shoes, he wore nothing but an olive sleeveless muscle shirt above his waist. Leaning against the tree he exhaled, his breath spreading out in a rapidly dissipating cloud.

"You're late again you know."

Above him came a hardly audible pop, the sound of his friend entering her true form. She hung from the branch for a moment by her hands and then dropped down into the snow beside him. She was much smaller and younger than he. Wiser too apparently since her garb, a bear skin that covered her entire form and left only her face exposed, was better suited to the weather. She hissed at him.

"I was getting some dinner."

The man pushed away from the tree, rubbing his hands together for some warmth.

"Have I told you how silly you look in that outfit?"

"Have I told you how cold you look in yours?"

The man coughed and scratched the back of his neck with his hand, looking up at the sky.

"Touché."

--

This was the start of a collaborative story I started a couple years back where one of us would write a piece and then the other would write the next piece. We had two different stories going with different characters who would have eventually met if it hadn't stopped off short when the other person dropped out. The story has been abandoned and I have no intention of resurrecting it, however for these two characters I managed to develop a distinct fondness in the short time I spent with them. They may eventually get their own story from me if I happen to come up with another plot that calls for a shape shifter and a martial artist.