Armel, Sister

Gender: female

Species: squirrel

Appears In: Rakkety Tam




Armel is the young Infirmary Keeper who has gentle features and dark brown eyes. She is the wife of Tam, mother of Melanda, liked by all, and keeps a jar full of candied chestnuts for the Dibbuns. After Martin visits her in a dream and tells her to take his sword to a border warrior who has lost his, she and her best friend Brooky set out into Mossflower with the famous weapon. They are captured by Gulo a short time later but rescued by Doogy and Tam (she and the latter instantly fall in love with each other upon meeting) thanks to Yoofus warning the two squirrels. They recover Martin's stolen sword, head back to Redwall where a fight breaks out at the gates, and she later tends to wounded creatures. She explains the importance of Martin's sword to Tam and reveals she doesn't understand why war has to occur as she is not a fighter herself, but does help to defend her home as seen when she distracts a fox soldier while Brooky knocks him unconscious after a small band of vermin manage to enter the Abbey grounds. Some time later she is reunited with Tam but recognizes that he is extremely worried about a missing Doogy, often visiting Tam on the walltop to give him meals. She watches the final duel between him and Gulo from the Dormitory windows and nurses a wounded Tam back to health after he defeats the wolverine. Some seasons later she convinces him to return the recovered Royal Banner to its rightful owners, so with their daughter, Doogy, and Tergen they head to Araltum's Groves where she strips the royal couple of their crowns and orders them to live with their fellow squirrels as equals. She and Tam are offered the grove but they refuse, and while on the return trip to Redwall they stop by Salamandastron where Tergen decides to stay. She, Tam, and Melanda head back to the Abbey where they live for the remainder of their seasons.