Renard

Renard is a fox who inhabits the island where the robot Roz finds herself stranded. He is introduced as a creature of the wild, part of the natural order in which foxes hunt hares, as observed in the island's ecosystem. His initial stance toward Roz is one of hostility, echoing the general suspicion with which the animals regard the strange mechanical being. Yet Renard's character is defined not by this early antagonism but by his capacity for transformation, becoming the first animal to bridge the divide between the natural world and the artificial intruder. His journey from wary adversary to loyal friend marks a pivotal turn in Roz's own story, as it is through him that she begins to find acceptance among the island's creatures.

First Encounter and the Porcupine Quills

Renard's first significant interaction with Roz occurs when he is in desperate pain, lying on a log and howling with his face full of long, sharp porcupine quills. He cries out for help, lamenting his beautiful face, and when Roz appears, she asks if there is no one else who can help him. Despite his earlier hostility toward the robot, Renard pleads with her not to leave, saying he will take whatever help he can get. Roz begins to pull out the quills, but the first one breaks between her fingers, causing Renard to cry out and instruct her to pinch it closer to the skin. She does so, and slowly removes the broken quill, while the fox grimaces in pain and begs her to work faster, calling it agony. Roz then quickly removes the remaining quills, one after another, while Renard lies perfectly still with his eyes shut tight, the wind whistling through his nose, until every quill has been extracted and placed in a neat pile beside him. After struggling to his feet, Renard thanks Roz and admits he owes her a debt, offering a brief smile before limping away. This encounter establishes the foundation of their relationship, built on an act of kindness that transcends the fox's initial distrust of the robot.

Learning the Language of the Animals

Before her friendship with Renard, Roz had been observing the animals of the island, camouflaged and hidden from their view. She noticed that the birds were always nervous when the robot was near, staring and shrieking before scattering away. But once camouflaged, she could secretly observe their normal behavior up close. She watched chickadees flitting among the same flowers and singing the same song each morning, a lark diving onto the same rock and singing the same song each afternoon, and two magpies singing together across the same meadow each evening. After weeks of robotic study, Roz knew what each bird would sing, when it would sing, and finally why it would sing. She began to understand the birds, and also the porcupines, salamanders, and beetles, discovering that all the different animals shared a common language, simply speaking it in different ways, as if each species had its own accent. This understanding of the animals' language would prove essential to Roz's integration, and it is Renard who becomes her first true interlocutor in this shared tongue.

The Request for Survival Techniques

Roz's growing understanding of the animals leads her to approach them with a remarkable request. She observes that different animals have different ways of surviving, and she asks each of them to teach her their survival techniques. The response is largely hostile: Crownpoint, the male deer, has heard enough and slips into the forest with his family; Fink, the fox, growls and asks what she wants from them; an owl hoots from a tree that it will not help her because she looks so unnatural; and Digdown the marmot cries that the monster is only waiting to swallow them all, disappearing into a hole. Despite this rejection, Renard's earlier encounter with Roz has planted a seed of trust, and his eventual acceptance of her request, implied by his later cooperation, marks a turning point in the animals' collective attitude toward the robot. The fox's willingness to engage with Roz, born from her kindness in removing the quills, sets him apart from the other creatures who remain fearful and dismissive.

Building the Lodge and the Winter Shelters

Renard's bond with Roz deepens as she begins to build a home for herself and her adopted gosling, Brightbill. With the guidance of Mr. Beaver, Roz constructs a lodge that resembles a beaver hut but is larger, a great dome of wood, mud, and leaves, with a simple opening in the wall serving as an entrance and a heavy stone as a door. Inside, the lodge is a large round room with a vaulted ceiling tall enough for Roz to stand, a fireplace in the center of the floor, and a trellis of fine branches above as a vent. Long stones line the inner walls like benches, covered with thick cushions of moss, and there is even a hole for storing food and water for Brightbill. The lodge becomes known as the Nest, and it is here that Renard and other animals find refuge during the harsh winter. One night, the tenants fall into a deep sleep, even the nocturnal creatures who are usually wide awake, while Roz tends the fire quietly as her guests sleep through the night. When daylight enters through the door, the animals begin to stir, and Roz tells them they are all invited to stay as long as they wish, declaring that her home is their home. Renard, stepping carefully over a hare and a woodpecker on his way to the door, thanks Roz and admits he does not think he would have survived another night by himself, regretting only that they cannot squeeze a few more creatures inside. The Nest is completely full that night, and Roz resolves not to let any animal be left out, leading her to build more lodges across the island. She crosses the frozen pond to find Broadfoot the moose, who leads her to a clearing where she builds a second lodge, asking the animals to gather stones, branches, and frozen mud to help. With the robot's building expertise and the small army of assistants, the construction does not take long, and the animals joyfully accept the robot's truce, dragging themselves into the warm wooden dome. Roz explains that if they tend the fire, it will keep them alive, but warns them to be careful, as fire can become deadly in an instant. By dawn, heavy snow is falling again, and Roz leaves the Nest to build a third lodge in the Great Prairie, where strong winds have created huge drifts, but she perseveres and finishes the work, soon starting on a fourth and then a fifth lodge. The island becomes dotted with lodges that all glow warmly during those long winter nights, and inside each one, animals laugh, share stories, and cheer their good friend Roz. Renard's presence in the Nest and his gratitude for the shelter underscore the deepening bond between the fox and the robot, as he becomes one of the first to fully accept her as part of the community.

The Robot Stories and the Wild Spring

As Roz's reputation grows, stories of her deeds spread across the river and across the island. There are stories of Roz helping Rockmouth the fish return to the river, of her growing gardens in dry and barren places, of her healing sick animals, and of her creating ropes, wheels, and tools to help her friends. But most of the new stories concern the robot's wildness. Roz had noticed that the more she acted wild, the more the animals loved her, so she barked with the foxes, sang with the birds, and hissed with the snakes. She got high with the weasels, took sunbaths with the lizards, and jumped with the deer. This spring is a very crazy time for the robot, and Renard, as a fox, is among those with whom she barks, sharing in the wild behavior that endears her to the animal community. The fox's acceptance of Roz's wildness reflects his own nature, and their shared howling becomes a symbol of the bond that has grown between the mechanical and the natural.

The Coordinated Attack Against the RECO Robots

Renard's loyalty to Roz is put to its ultimate test when the RECO robots arrive on the island to capture her. As RECO 3 marches through the forest with steady strides, its head swiveling from side to side in search of any sign of Roz, it is distracted by the animals who greet it with howls. Unbeknownst to the RECO, it is in the middle of a coordinated attack. Swooper the owl hoots orders from above, commanding hawks, sparrows, and owls to dive at its eyes, while Renard barks orders from below, commanding hares, weasels, and foxes to dash between its legs. The forest teems with an army of wild animals, distracting the robot and luring the terrible thing deeper into its trap. Chitchat the squirrel jumps from the branches and scratches at the robot's eyes, shouting that anyone who comes to their island and tries to take away her friend's mother has a big problem with her. The RECO points its rifle at the squirrel and fires, sending a blazing beam of light through the forest that sends tree branches crashing to the ground, grazing poor Chitchat and burning the tip of her tail, but she ignores the pain and rushes to the safety of the canopy. Renard's role as a commander in this attack demonstrates his transformation from a creature who once howled in pain and fear to a leader who orchestrates the defense of his friend, barking orders that coordinate the hares, weasels, and foxes in their daring maneuver. The fox who once owed Roz a debt for removing the porcupine quills now repays it tenfold, risking his own safety to protect the robot who saved him. His actions in this moment cement his place as one of Roz's most loyal and courageous allies, and the coordinated attack he helps lead becomes a testament to the deep bonds of friendship and mutual aid that Roz has cultivated among the island's animals.