A Secretive Man

In a small building found in Fairfield Farms was Father Mudge's makeshift 'church'. A few chairs surrounded a brahmin skull placed on the floor, different flowers and crops were placed in a circle around what remained of the animal's head. Mudge was knelt before the skull and chanted lines from a religious text. One of the residents of Fairfield Farms Jaymes entered, taking one of the seats and waiting for Father Mudge to finish speaking to the skull.

Around two minutes the later Mudge stood up, he wiped something from his eye. A tear maybe? Jaymes wasn't sure. "Father Mudge - how are you doing?"

"Fine, Jaymes, I'm fine." He paused for a moment, placing the religious texts on another chair. "How are you? Have you sorted the problem with the soil yet?"

Jaymes nodded, then a slight smile appeared on his face. "Yes Father, everything's fine with the soil now thank you. I was wondering if I could ask you something, about what happened earlier."

"What happened?"

"Well, those fellas who came into town. It was like they knew who you were?" Jaymes asked, he placed his hand against his chin and scratched at his goatee. "Had you made any promises to them?"

"Respectfully, Jaymes do you really need to know who those men were?" Mudge quickly realized how rude he sounded. "Look, we all have our own histories. Some of us have a background more complicated than others. I'm one of those with a complicated background. I have chosen this life to get away from all of that." The father went over and sat next to Jaymes. "Those men are an element of my past, I abandoned them. I abandoned their way of life."

"What way of life is that?"

"I'd rather keep that a secret, if you don't mind." Mudge raised his hood, then he looked down to the ground.

"Frankly Father I do mind. What if those people put the other residents of the farms at risk? What then?" Jaymes asked. "I care about these people Father, as I'm sure you do too. Sometimes you have to tell people your secrets." The man stood up, looking down at the Brahmin priest. He wouldn't leave until he had pried the information out of the Father.

"I promise you this Jaymes, they won't hurt anyone. They're not raiders, criminals, tribals, or anything we need to worry about. They're a people I was once a part of, a people I guided even. Eventually I rejected their way of life. Their code wouldn't allow them to hurt anyone else, if they had a problem with me then it'd only be me who'd have to deal with it. I can handle myself."

"But-"

"But nothing," the Father snapped at the man. "Don't worry Jaymes, the farms are safe. Now please I have some matters to attend too. If it is of any help I will request the protection of the sister brahmin."

"You do that Mudge, you do that," Jaymes sighed as he left the the church. Mudge collapsed to his knees again, it felt like a life he had left behind was slowly catching back up with him. He didn't understand why it happened now. He had found peace in Fairfield Farms, a mostly peaceful life. He didn't want anybody else involved in his own personal business.