Cowbane

Named for his speckled white coat, and after his father, Nightshade. The poisonous water hemlock plant is also known as "cowbane". His father was reminded of the plant's white spray of flowers when he first saw his son. Soon it became apparent there was something wrong with his hearing. Cowbane is easily frustrated by other wolves, and their inability—and sometimes refusal—to understand him, which gave way to his aloof personality as he grew. His mate, Quailscar, and his sister, Sablefrost, are the only two wolves besides his parents in Lassen Pack who can communicate fluently with him, using a series of tail, ear, and paw movements to mimic language. No wolf trusted him to be a pupsitter, nor were the hunters willing to train a deaf pup, and so Cowbane began to accompany his father on scouting trips as soon as he was able. Scouts run into danger frequently, with no pack nearby for help. Already used to depending on no wolf but himself, Cowbane became a great scout.