User blog comment:D2r/Unanswered Questions of Redwall/@comment-1669318-20100126235938

@d2r

Rakkety Tam was hired by Squirrelking Araltum, who let other squirrels live in an area of particularly nice woodlands in return for fighting service. Alaltum gets an army of squirrels, and the army gets food, and an easy life. (It is hard to explain. Read the book if this dosen't make sense.)