So I pick pocketed the old lady who makes weapons near the towns entrance of Whiterun. I ended up stealing her key.

I then went into her shop, ran up stairs and tried to sleep in the bed up there (its unowned for some reason). And it said something like "you can not sleep while guards are looking for you".

I reloaded up the save file, right before picking her pocket and was able to sleep for hours with out a problem..


Is there some sort of silent alarm system in the game?
Also, if you kill a guard an no one sees you, did you get away with it?

If you kill all witnesses to any crime you'll be fine again. Unless there are guards on the way. I assume when the guards come after you when you break the law in a town, it's supposed to emulate NPC's shouting for the guards. Although I don't see why they couldn't have simply added the extra dialogue.

Guards can see through walls, unfortunately.

Even if you have a key, walking into a house you don't own when it's locked is trespassing, and if you're seen passing through you may well have guards set on you. But there is no silent alarm system.

Also I've executed at least 20 guards with no witnesses and no bounty.

I walked up a flight of steps to a door in a dungeon getting ready to open the door when I was hit with a bolt of lightning, arm through the locked door and I was zapped.

But the stealing thing is a joke , I was upstairs in an Inn , outside my room was a table with some apples on it and a book. I press E to read the book but took an apple by mistake, I heard all this shouting down stairs and swords being drawn then footsteps thumping up the stairs. I went down to see what all the fuss was about , met a guard on the stairs, right your coming with me .. WHAT !

Didn't know they had CCTV upstairs in the INN ...

Guy that "killed" his Mrs and wee girl , done the mission killed a load vamps and the guy as well ... Well done I was told by the Jarl and here is a reward .... I went back to this house , family all dead and buried but still put my cursor over anything and it has the Red STEAL on it.

Another one , on my way from one town to another I seen a merchant being robbed , two of them were fighting robber killed the merchant but must have been badly wounded as the merchants horse reared up and killed the robber. Both dead but when I went to take the dead merchants horse I put my cursor on it and it asks if I want to Steal it , its owner was dead!