Dead Man Talking — A.J. Cooper

Enchanted Forest: A New Short Story Series In the Kalamar Forest, the line between the material world and the Otherworld is thin. Here, will o' wisps draw unwary travelers into quicksand; the lupine Firvalg hunt in packs; giant spiders trap victims in sticky webs; and the vicious Mandragora coils through the western swamps in her never-ending search for food. One warrior stands against the forces of darkness and decay, and the encroaching human threat: Pirosha Shortsprout-heir to the throne of Bayne yet smallest of all his people-who will be called the greatest norg that ever lived. Episode 3: Dead Man Talking A visitor has arrived in Kalamar, coinciding with Nightshade's warning about the Big People. As the hours unfold, informants tell Pirosha strange stories about "Maester Leo": his "conversations" with himself in the cemetery; his many-bladed, gutting spear; and his obsessive search for an ancient relic. The more Pirosha uncovers about Leopold, the more concerned he grows.