locks

could someone please give me a subtle hint about how opening locked doors in villages work? I'm confused as of whether the lock-picking skill will be taught later on by some character, or if it's available early on in the game and I just missed it. Lvl 16 atm (...okay, now that I said that, I'm pretty sure I missed it then -.-)

p.s.: it' be cool if the hint weren't too straightforward, as I'd still enjoy figuring it out by myself, even if only partially ^{-^}