Something feels like it snaps and there's a soft burst of light as some of the wards are disrupted. He feels the atronach stir, but it doesn't get up. He's not good at processing words for a minute - there's a sound in his ears, a human sound, and he's not sure why it brings that spiking sensation in his gut. It's pure instinct in control, the overwhelming need to breathe making him cough and gasp until he can pull air into his lungs unhindered. Uncomfortably, but unhindered. He breathes in and out harshly, until he pushes himself up and realizes there's a weight-

A hand. That's it. Someone's holding his shoulder. A voice, talking to him. He turns to peer at the source, disoriented and still trying to find his way back to himself. Recognition kicks back in. Not a stranger. Someone who wasn't supposed to be here...

"'mfine," he assures the man automatically. "'Sjust a ritual, don't step in it-" Is the circle holding? He swings back quickly to check the atronach. Still there. Still calm, to his relief. No-one was supposed to walk in. No-one was supposed to be-

But he is here.

He makes a startled, worried noise before he looks back to Jim, unease written over his face even though framing questions is a little beyond him for a moment. "What are you doing here?"

He has no sense of how long it's been, except that he hasn't quite frozen solid. Was he missing into the night? How badly did he miscalculate that Jim has found him?