I was doing a spot of skulking about in Riften, I won't say where because it'll get this topic sent to the Spoilers section quicker than you can say 'bottomless pit' never to be read again.

Needless to say, I was getting attacked by people and I despatched each and every one of them forthwith.

That is until I came to a door, I tried to open it and some guy said some stuff and so I thought, "I bet you are to do with that other rabble." and shot him twice with my bow and arrow. He didn't die or attack me back and I didn't kill him because all at once it said : "45g added to Riften bounty" twice, once for each arrow.

"Nuts!" I thought and decided to leave the area.

Now I have four questions:

1: Being DEEP under ground how the funk did the guards know I shot a man twice with no witnesses?

2: Why were the guards NOT bothered about me actually killing the other people?

3: Why when I go near ANY Riften guard do they try to kill me and never ask me to pay the 90g bounty?

4: Will I EVER be able to return to Riften or do I quite literally have to start a new game now?

Help me Obi-Wan-Kenobi... you're my only hope...
Help me Obi-Wan-Kenobi... you're my only hope...
Help me Obi-Wan-Kenobi... you're my only hope...
Help me Obi-Wan-Kenobi... you're my only hope...
Help me Obi-Wan-Kenobi... you're my only hope...
(This R2 unit seems to be playing some kind of message)

• Some people have the ability to report crimes themselves. If you were alone and would have killed him it likely would have left for killing the last witness.
  
• I'm assuming you were in the Ratway and attacked by the people down there. Those are the only ones I know of in Riften that will attack you first. They are considered bandits and don't raise a bounty.
  
• Is your weapon out? You need to put it away to yield to them.
  
• Depends. On PC you can use the console to force them to stop combat. If on console you might be banished from Riften.

Usually there is only a bounty if you fail to kill witnesses - are you sure no one else saw you? Alternatively the guards could have 'heard' you I suppose - bit of a stretch though! Only time that's happened to me is when I've shot someone in their own house and the guard charged through the door (presumably guards in Windhelm like listening at doors...) and started smiting me.

Good question

Have you got your weapons drawn? If so, put them away - they might start behaving. Otherwise - ugh.

See above. Hope it gets fixed!

I had it drawn when I left the sewer but the moment I heard the rush of guards and saw about 10 red dots on my compass I thought "Pay the gold Shelob, pay the gold!!" and put my weapon away. The first guard approached and WHAM!!! iron mace to my swede!

I am thinking perhaps its to do with Illia my follower?

Either way, they ain't doing no yieldin.

I'm on the 360 so console commands are out.

I might try and go back with out my destruction crazed, all powerful, war mongering mage follower.

Thanks for your help.

And there you go. Followers don't really understand the concept of "I'M YIELDING"; they see those red dots and wade in swinging. And you get blamed for it.

Tell her to wait somewhere. Deal with the guards, then go back for her. Hopefully that helps.

Yeah it must be. They should add that to the other fixes as it breaks the reality my brain tries to apply to Skyrim.

Thanks and all that jazz.