That night I dreamed of the past. For the first time in years.
I was just twenty then, younger than I remember thinking I was at the time.
I was a hunter, along with my brother and father. I was skilled with a bow, thanks to my father's teachings. We were in the meat business, selling cuts of tender steak, brilliant beef and delicious fish in the Riften market. My mother ran the stall, and we made a cosy profit and lived a happy life.
Before the Black-Briars got involved.
Maven Black-Briar - a younger woman then - had noticed our business' success and wanted a cut of the profits. My parents knew we had no choice - Maven had the city guards in her pockets, and had ties to both the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood. So we paid up, giving her a half of all profit we made at the end of every week. Our lives slowly got worse, as we started getting less food (we couldn't live solely on meat) and were forced to sell our house and live in a room above the Bee and Barb. The innkeeper, who sympathised with our plight, gave us the room half price. However, we all knew it wouldn't last forever. Our father was running out of money with which to pay Black-Briar, and Maven knew it. One day we found our stall smashed to pieces and the produce stolen. We tried to report it to the guards - we knew Black-Briar was responsible - but they did nothing.
In the end, father had to go to Maven and beg her to let up. He was kicked out. Literally.
The next morning, my father was found decapitated. With that, my family and I packed our things and made to leave Riften for good. But Maven wasn't going to let that happen. She paid off the guards to arrest us before we could leave, and we were accused of murdering my father and jailed.
The cells were dark and damp. We were informed that we were to be executed the next morning. However, in a stroke of luck, I managed to reach through the bars and pickpocket the key to my cell from a guard as he passed by. When he had left, I hurriedly opened my cell, and went to free my mother and brother. The key wouldn't work. So, distraut, I promised them both I would be back for them, and left the dungeon.
But I never had the chance to return. Without my knowledge, the executions had been rescheduled to an earlier time. The next morning, I witnessed the deaths of both my mother and my brother by the headsman's axe. That night, I swore revenge.
