It was a very good day, that second day of Great Buffalo's odyssey. Crow had flown off early, although Great Buffalo caught glimpses of him, from time-to-time during the day. The meadow that had greeted the buffalo was one of plentiful and varied grasses, which he spent a long time enjoying.

Dog joined Great Buffalo and together they went to the center of the Wolf Pack territory. The buffalo was introduced to Dog's daughter and her mate and the other grandchildren, still living at home. There were other members of the pack who showed up throughout the day. Great Buffalo knew there was a strong tie to family within the Wolf Pack. There were also well defined territories that belonged to the family. As he remembered, the wolves had a very structured way of interacting. Each wolf knew where he or she was on the ladder of life.

There was always one male and one female at the top who were the leaders. Below the leaders the older wolves and then the stronger wolves had varying degrees of leadership. At the bottom was the youngest wolves, who were cared for by all of the others. The leaders were seldom autocratic nor bossy. Most decisions were based on what had been done before. Wolves were rather ritualistic in their day-to-day activities. Even play between the elders and the young were a combination of movements and tail wagging, head gesturing, small yelps, looks, and posturing that were all designed to teach communication and hone athletic skills.

Great Buffalo knew that unlike himself who had many mates, wolves spent their lives faithful to only one mate. Dog had said his mate had died many years ago. The wolf had not gone beyond that fact.

The day was spent down at the lake, the most magical place Great Buffalo had ever seen. Water in the form of rivers were a requirement for life, to quench the thirst of the Buffalo Heard. The rivers cut through the plain providing life giving water and creating tasty grasses. But, the large body of water found on the high ground was a place of many interesting animals, plants, and flowers not seen along the river. They had spent hours playing and watching others play along the banks. The wolves even ventured in for swims. Great Buffalo waded along the shore, loving the feeling of water on his legs.

The two old friends were laying down, enjoying the sun. Great Buffalo asked, "Dog, why do you howl at the moon?"

Dog replied, "To honor the spirit that made the moon which lights our way."

"Is that Mother Earth?" Great Buffalo asked innocently.

Wolf actually growled, saying, "No. Never. Mother Earth is a harsh and unforgiving Spirit."

Great Buffalo had not anticipated this reaction. He had never seen Dog so upset. "I am sorry, if I offended you," Great Buffalo said humbly.

Dog mellowed immediately. "Not your fault."

The two were silent for a long time, before Dog told the story.