In the boys' first year of life, they grow much as expected. Loki and Sigyn find a balance of power in the routine of meals and bedtimes, of teaching and talking, of reading and rearing. Sigyn does best when she is able to sit Vali and Narvi down to read a book together, usually after the evening meal, though Narvi always begs for more stories than she feels awake enough to give. Loki likes to take the boys out of the house, and uses the sling given him before they arrived to wrap them around his body so his arms and legs are uninhibited. While he initially thought it might be best to try to trade their positions, as Loki can only carry one on his front and one on his back, he learned quickly that the decision would be made for him. Narvi always sleeps in the back, while Vali, wide-eyed and excitable, screams if placed there. Like a true predator, only his eyes to the front will suffice.
The premonitions told by Freyr and Grid have proven true, though Sigyn and Loki aren't sure exactly how they'll manifest with time. It does appear the boys came already equipped with their parents' natural skills for magic. Narvi, the quiet child, seems impervious to all types of illness, and even does not cry when he cuts new teeth or injures himself. He is a calming presence in their home, and all who visit say the same thing: "What an old soul inhabits this child." Vali is nearly his polar opposite, brand-new and fussy, screeching when he doesn't get his way. Besides looking just like Loki, he has his father's old temper, and frequently shifts his moods in manic opposition. Sigyn is able to calm him well, but the villagers dread if they are asked to watch the child for an errand. But that is not to say that he does not hold power like his brother; when he squeezes his hands and screams in frustration, the boy can make all the lights go out. Tiwaz, ever the guardian, watches over the children when they sleep.
Loki followed his wife's advice and shortly after the boys were born, he decided to start joining Freyr in small trips to the surrounding villages. He is now a well-respected teacher to budding magicians, choosing only to take young boys and girls under his wing, and denies adult pupils. While there is no better master of the art than he, Loki fears what finding grown and powerful sorcerers might do to his psyche. Loki treasures his time spent with the students, growing in pride for their skills, even for those who surpass his timeline and show great promise. He has no doubt that they will lead to a bright future in peace.
Loki's hair continues to grow long, and now he plaits it down his back somewhat; he keeps it tied back to make spending time with the children easier, but Loki keeps the length knowing that Sigyn prefers it. She does the same with her hair, as she knows her husband greatly enjoys using it as a prop in their lovemaking. Sigyn gladly supports Loki's efforts to teach, and does not mind the many days he spends away each month to do so; she feels ever comfortable being a caretaker of their home, and knows that when the boys are old enough to attend school elsewhere, she will have more time to spend learning magic herself and writing.
The second year of the boys' life is very much the same, except now they are able to articulate their needs, and are coming further into their personalities. They call Grid an affectionate, "Nanny," and fully call "Uncle Freyr" his full name each time they see him. Narvi speaks very articulately, like his mother, and he twirls his fingers in Sigyn's hair when he sits on her lap for a story. Sigyn appreciates Narvi's love for all things quiet, and finds that the house is most peaceful when it is just the two of them at home. Most of their book selections are penned by Loki himself. Sigyn longs for a library, more parchment of her own, and journals in a leather book nearly every day to chronicle her sons' upbringing. Loki bound one for her shortly after Narvi and Vali were born. While he never confesses that he ever knew she owned one on Asgard, Loki knows better than to invade her privacy now, and lets her keep her confidant with confidence.
Vali has grown to love being outside, and given the choice between time spent with Sigyn at home or Loki in the village, he always chooses the latter. This pleases Loki, who finds it easier to spend time with one and not two. Vali is a good climber, and his lanky form gets taller by the day. His voice is loud, and Vali often loses his words in a mumble of excitement; Loki and Sigyn are grateful that as he is growing, Vali is losing his penchant for upsettedness and is calming somewhat. Vali's black hair falls like a mop on his head, sleek and shiny, and stick-straight unlike his father's. Loki refuses to let the boys grow it long, not wanting them to stand out amongst the other children. Loki's efforts are wasted, however; they are famously tied to their parents, regardless of their appearances, and Vali and Narvi are already being watched by other sorcerers of the realm as promising future pupils.
The boys are not quite three years old when Freyr, now an elected senator of Vanaheim, is invited to the Don City for a ceremony in his colleague's honor. He asks Loki if he wants to come along and bring the boys, leaving Sigyn back at the fortress for a week of solitude. While she is initially wary of letting both of her young sons go in Loki's care on the road, she is secretly grateful for the opportunity to have some time to herself. Grid and Sigyn pack them all up for the trip, hire two horses, and send the men off into the late spring forests. When they finally crest the horizon and can no longer be seen, one of Sigyn's younger friends of the village greets her with a cup of ale and a promise for conversation not relating to her sons or her husband.
Loki rides with Vali sharing his saddle in the front, and Narvi sits in front of Freyr; the twins often turn to look at one another and make faces, but they are enjoying the adventure outside of their home fortress. Freyr reminisces in the time spent with the young children, thinking of the long-forgotten days he spent time with Loki as a child, and it throws him back into youth. He hides a smirk beneath his bearded lips. Loki sits tall on his horse, looking ever regal, taking in the breeze as they ride faster through the trees. Despite his ability to project himself at will, Loki greatly enjoys horses, and cannot wait until the boys are big enough to learn to ride on their own as well. Spending time on this trip even makes him want to ask Sigyn if she is at all interested in finding a horse of their own.
In the nights spent camping on the road, Loki and Freyr teach the boys how to cook fish and make tea on an open fire, only showing them how to create flame with tools and not magic; Loki knows he would never hear the end of it if Vali could suddenly light the candles when they get home. Narvi quietly listens to the fire crackling in the evenings, while Vali demands Freyr tell stories of the stars, the moons, and the mountains of Vanaheim. He sits on his great uncle's lap and kicks his feet out, impatiently waiting to hear tales of magic. Loki sits next to his quiet son, and watches him make small designs in the ash with a stick. Narvi hums a song to himself, one that he hears Sigyn sing often, and Loki wishes she had come with them if only to witness this moment herself. He looks up at the sky, and far to the East, Loki spots something faint and glowing. It is something he has never seen here on Vanaheim. He feels compelled to stand, and walks out from their fire to a small clearing.
Indeed, the longer he looks, the more sure he is of what he sees. The red-gold shine of Frigga's star is visible beside Vanaheim's moons. Loki crosses his arms while he looks at it, and decides not to tell Freyr its significance, instead taking a quiet moment to speak in his mind: Do you see them, mother? Aren't they exquisite? It seems to shine brighter as he asks his questions, and Loki's heart feels full and warm. He lowers his head and gives the star a final glance before walking back to the fire, happy to take over for Freyr, who has become exhausted with Vali's never-ending questions.