Ada Finkler and her son Aalwijn are, like Hero and Hertzel, escaped Zaeri from Freedonia.  Mrs. Finkler, a renowned cook, has set up a bakery and cafe in Port Dechantagne.  She is mostly a background character, seldom actually seen but often referred to.  Aalwijn on the other hand, becomes a fairly important character by the end of this book.

These characters did not appear in my orignial draft of the series.  As I was writing The Voyage of the Minotaur, I threw in a single line about Mrs. Finkler supplying food for Zeah Korlann.  Later, when I needed an eating establishment, I fleshed them out and they became regular characters.  You will probably get a hint of why Aalwijn becomes important toward the end of this book, but you will clearly see it in the next.