Shape Language
alone: small finger raised above a fist
arena: two hands together with the pointer and middle finger raised
Ash (Fir’s older brother): four fingers straight with the thumb crossed over the palm
attack: four fingers thrusting forward
bee: the thumb and index finger tapping
betrayal: the opposite of trust; the palms move apart
beware: thumbs crossed
Blazes (warriors under the command of Captain Rek): a swipe to the right with the right hand
blow (hit): sharp cut with the hand
board: a palm flattened across the back of a hand
bond: a vertical fist with thumb laid over them
bond of friendship: thumbs hook together
bond of love (particular affection): elbows go out as fingers curl together, one forearm turned up and the other down, opposites that are a perfect fit
brother: the pointer fingers parallel and joined
burden: three fingers curled
burn: parallel fingers curled
call: fingertips to the cheek then moving out
Captain: the arm outstretched, as if in command
Chronicler: fingers pursed as if they hold a feather to draw
completely: both hands raised and with the palms facing the speaker
conjury: a palm circles an ear; also witchcraft, something frightening and unexplained
courage: fists joined then moving outwards
coward: a quick circle with the flat of the hand
Cranox (the Master’s general): one hand cupped over a fist
creature: a horizontal V over the eyes
danger: two fists pounding, one in front of the other
Dark (the) (a kind of petroleum): the thumb gripped by all four fingers in a fist
dead: palm clap
death: one hand flat with the fingers splayed, with the two fingers of the other hand on the palm
death rattle: a fist with the thumb raised and making a slow circle
Dinitra: a clenched fist to the heart
don’t know/unsure: shrug
doesn’t matter: palms flip and press down
battle dog: the second and fifth finger crooked
battle dog attack: two fingers curved like fangs
dread: a hand cupped waist high, turning
dust: fingers flutter
eat: two fingers pressed to lips
father: the flat of the hand horizontal pointed to the sky, making a circle
female: two longest fingers entwined
Fir: the pointing and middle fingers angled across one another with the right hand on top, with the thumbs overlapped, forming an inner fir cone
fire: palms up and fingers wriggling
Fire Brother (a god created by warriors): the pointer fingers together while the rest wriggle
fool: the pointer finger vertical and twisting
forgive: palms outstretched
free/freedom: a fist opening
friend: pointing fingers curled around each other
funny: patting just below the neck
fury: the palm swipes up from the chest
good: a cupped hand, palm up, at the lips
heal: fists under the chin and moving out
helio (a solar-powered airship): a fist held high then opening and closing rapidly
hello: a wave of the pointer finger
help: one hand on the other parallel to the chest, lifting
home: the fingertips of one hand pressed to the back of the other hand
hope: a flick at the temple
horses: fingers flick on a palm
how this happens: palms turned up, fingers curled, thumbs pointing out
human: two fingers on a palm with the fingers together
I (me): laying a hand over the collarbone
joy: hands cupped as if to drink cold spring water
key: two fingers rotating
kill: the pointer fingers hitting
lie: a finger circle
life: two hands beating chest
listen/pay attention: cup an ear
Living Wood (Fir and his brothers): the three long fingers, loyalty, strength and the Mother’s love
loud: flicking the ear
love: hands clasped with fingers entwined
loyal: a palm cut across the eyes
lucky: the crook of the thumbs joined
male/man (a soldier with the Hundred-Hundred): a cut to the ribs with both hands flat and palms up
male/man (in Bounty): two longest fingers entwined (female) on top of the flat back of the hand
The Master: one pointer finger horizontal to the other
maybe: eyebrows raised
moment: a pointer finger swirling
Mother (the): the flat of the hand horizontal and pointing to the Earth, circling the ground
name: the little finger drawn from temple to chin
nektar (a healing substance made by the Hive Queen): fingers stretching over the back of the right hand
no: a fist
nonsense: back of the hand slaps the open palm
nothing: a hole with the fingers
obedient: smooths one palm against the other
Queen Odide: the base of the palms together and fingers cupped into the bowl-shape of a flower
order: palm moving outward from the chin
particular affection (bond of love): elbows go out as fingers curl together, one forearm turned up and the other down, opposites that are a perfect fit
patience: the back of the hand against one eye
peace: open hands at the hips
piss: a jab of the pinky
plan: the tips of the fingers gently touching
plea: both palms moving out from the forehead
please: palm moving out from the forehead
promise: a gentle swipe of the flattened palms
question: a touch to the earlobe
Remedy (powdered rose hips, to keep the virus women breed into men dormant): the thumb and small finger together
revenge: hands touch between the thumb and pointer fingers, then twist as if throttling a small animal
run away: fingers dusting the palm
sabotage: laced fingers coming apart
safe: a vertical palm and cupping the back of the other hand
scrags (a derogatory term for Bounty folk used by people in the Weave): hand flat under the chin with the fingers wiggling
scuttle (slang for wildmen): the hand cupped to swing once
secret: a thumb to the lips
shape language: palms flat and pressed
sick: palm wiggling at the belly
silence: one hand on the other, flat
sing: five fingers pressed together
sister: the hands flipped with short fingers parallel and touching
sit: the heels of two hands together
slave: wrists crossed, as if bound
smell: the fingertips joined below the nose
snap: a snap before and after a word is for emphasis, like an exclamation point
so?: two thumbs together
someone: a circle with a flattened palm
soon: the pinky and thumb coming together
sound: the pointer finger circling an ear
sorry: the palm circling over the heart
spirit: hands cupped but separate
sprig: the smallest finger wiggling
stay: a flat palm sideways
story: right fingertips brushing the left palm
surprise: the pointer finger on an O of the mouth
swirl: the pointer finger doing a downward circle.
talk: thumb on the chin and fingers fanned
teach: a hand cupping a ball of air
Timbe (Fir’s Captain-mother): five fingers on both hands interlocked
time: palm vertical and the thumb and pointer finger to nine o’ clock
thanks: the hand vertical in front of the mouth
tongued: one pointer finger slips over the other
traitor: a fist slam into the palm
training: my palms rubbing together
trust: palms crossed at the base of the neck
truth: pointer to the mouth then sharply brought forward
wait: the thumb and pointer finger tapping
warrior: fists at the hips
waste: fist circling
watch: a finger to the eye
water: a gentle fist at the chin
we: the pointer finger circling
weakness: a hand dangling from a wrist
welcome: the palms hitting the shoulders in unison
what is it?: a roll of the pointing finger
why: a fist turning at the cheek
wildmen: a flick of the hand with the fingers separated
wish: a straight motion down his chest
wobble: flat palm, tipping evenly back and forth
yes (also agreement): a nod