Thirteen years. Thirteen years of being imprisoned in a cell. Who knew that taking some a roll of bread from the back pocket of Maven Black-Briar would get me thrown into a cold Riften cell for thirteen years? I was just a poor beggar, barely scrounging up the septims I needed for even a half of a roll; then came along Maven. The only way I knew her name was from the whispers of the shopkeepers and customers around me as she entered the market. I watched her closely. Even by not knowing anything about her, I could tell she was very rich. She seemed to look down on everyone as she walked past, her nose pointed her nose to the sky, cold eyes silently judging every little detail.
Maven had stopped at the food stand, speaking to the Dark Elf shopkeeper. She was discussing what sounded like a complicated order, "I don't want to hear of anything missing from this list," Maven had demanded, "do you understand?"
The woman looked down as Maven spoke, submitting to her orders as she spoke, "Of course, MI 'lady." She bowed, "You have my word that everything will be here in three days' time."
Maven placed a rather large bag of coins into the elf hand, along with a note, which I assumed was a list of the items she was ordering. Maven spoke once more, and the elf produced a small satchel filled with what I assumed was just normal food. My stomach growled, my mouth watered, and I found myself crouching low as I looked to see if anyone was paying any mind to me. For a Wood Elf, I had the advantage. I heard stories growing up of my kind being the world's best archers and thieves, which I had believed to be true until that very day. I crept closer as Maven and her bodyguard walked through an alley. I thanked the gods silently, seeing the guard march ahead of Maven, obviously watching for threats ahead instead of behind. They had stopped and I took my chance, slightly opening the flap of the satchel, finding my grip on a warm roll of bread. My stomach growled in anticipation and I prayed for it to be quiet until I had fled.
I kept my grip on that bred until I had reached the underside of Riften and into Beggars Row, using all of my power to wait until I was sure I was safe. I laid upon my dirty bedroll and nearly devoured the roll in one gulp. I took my time, savoring the warmth of the bread, the small amount of butter that melted into the crust. It was delicious, if I had to put it into words. Only after I finished my small meal was when I realized that something had fallen out of the bread. I looked down and my expression had changed from confusion into fascination. What had fallen into my lap was one of the most beautiful sights in the world. A stone, red as blood and as sparkling as the silver jewelry on Maven's neck. There were bits of bread clinging to the stone, but it was smooth and warm from being stuffed inside the roll. What was such a beauty doing in a seemingly worthless roll? Why did Maven have this stuffed inside the bread? I sat there and pondered for what seemed like hours, staring at the stone until I hear a loud bang on the door.