The Hatchet (novel)

Starting in Dorna around the Saint Demetrius holiday (26 October) in order to buy some sheeps from some villager from Rarău, Nechifor Lipan doesn't return home from Tarcău and doesn't give any sign of life. the last twenty years, a farmost period from twenty days. He didn't do switched the winter position for the flock of sheep from the Cristești sat (close to Iași) found in Jijia River) from where they need to pay their debts, the fodder and the wages and from where it need then to return home with his son, Gheorghiță. The delay period goes for a month, and Vitoria dreams one night that Nechifor travels horse riding, to sunset, a stretch of water and believing he is dead.[1][9]

After hints been given by the priest Dănilă and with the elder Maranda, Vitoria decides to pray to Saint Mary and to hold black-fasting for twenty Fridays in a row hoping that Nechifor will eventually return. After Gheorghiță returns home around the winter holidays, Vitoria goes to the Bistrița Monastery to pray to the wonder-doers icon of Saint Ana and request a spiritual advice, then leaves to Piatra Neamț to announce that his husband is missing. The county's Prefect județului confirms that is possible that Nechifor Lipan been robbed and killed, confirming Vitoria's fear. The woman decides to go in search of his husband at the end of the black-fasting together with Gheorghiță, bringing a hatchet to defend themselves from evil-doers.[10]

After it seels the rest of a Jewish merchant, David, Vitoria begins in the middle of the day of 10 March, together with Gheorghiță, on the way that Nechifor Lipan walked upon to Dorna. They go across the Bistrița River, going through Bicaz, Călugăreni (where David leaves there), Farcașa, Borca, Broșteni and Crucea asking everywhere if the shepherd gone through there. Vitoria eventually arrives in Vatra Dornei where the sale records of Nechifor states that he bought 300 sheep, then decides that 100 sheep goes to the other two unknown mountain householders. The flocks of sheep been sent to the Neagra Șarului to the winter switch from Ștefănești (From the Prut's river), and then the three comrades supposed to go on their ways.

Vitoria and Gheorghiță goes on the Neagra Valley to find the flocks of sheep, going through Șaru Dornei, Păltiniș, Dârmoxa, Broșteni, Borca and Sabasa travelling in Stânișoara (on the Drumul Talienilor) to Suha (nowadays located in Mălini). Going to Suha, Vitoria finds out from the publican Iorgu Vasiliu and from her wife, Maria, that walked through there from autumn only two shepherds and not three. the two shepherds, Calistrat Bogza and Ilie Cuțui, live in the Doi Meri Valley and seemed that got wealthier quite fast, and the wives became vain and begun to do their waste. Summoned to the city hall, Bogza and Cutui confirms that bought all the sheep from Lipan and gone with their way to Crucea Talileilor, Nechifor returning to his house. After Vitoria gets advice, Maria launches a rumor in Suha that the sheep that been sold to the two shepherds is questionable, because after his death there wasn't witnesses and without signing any documents.[11]

Thinking fast, Vitoria draws a conclusion where Nechifor Lipan been killed and that happened between Suha and Sabasa and returns in Pasul Stanisoara. She finds him in the courtyard of a villager, the handy dog of his husband. The animal signals a ravine where Nechifor Lipan's body could be found, together with his horse. The skull was broken with the hit of a hatchet, proving the death of the shepherd was violent, the authorities investigates Bogza and Cutui, which continues to say that they parted ways after they paid.[12][13]

Vitoria organized a big feast to Sabasa with the occasion to burrow Lipan's bones, inviting the undersheriff and the two householders from Suha. The woman accuses Calistrat Bogza that hit his husband from his back to take his sheep, when Cutui was staying to guard to not be surprised by an adventurer. Furious, the householder exists the house and attacks Gheorghiță. The boy defends himself and hits Bogza in his forehead with the edge of the hatchet and the dog, Lupu bites his neck. Ilie Cutui surrenders and confirms the woman's accusations while Bogza, gravely hurt of the dog's bite, confesses its guilt and asks to be forgiven.[14][15][16]

• Nechifor Lipan - rich shepherd from Tarcău. Sick from edema at four year, switching his name from Gheorghiță in Nechifor as part of a witch ritual.[17] Belongs from a family of shepherds[18] and is owner of a flock of sheep.
• Vitoria Lipan - Nechifor Lipan's wife. Birthing seven kids, that five died from measles or from diphtheria, remaining only two.[19] She is smart and religious.
• Gheorghiță Lipan - the son of Nechifor and Vitoria, that has his dad's previous name.
• Minodora Lipan - daughter of Nechifor and Vitoria. She is lovestruck by Ghiță C. Topor (son of teacher Andrei that was doing military service at Piatra Neamț) that they broke up later on. She been sent to Văratec Monastery while searching for Nechifor Lipan.
• Lupu' - the dog of the Lipan's family, the name means Th' Wolf which he appears to be a race of a shepherd dog also proved by him severely biting Bogza. He also has a good sense of smell that brought the family to Nechifor.
• Priest Danil (Dănilă) Milieș - priest from Tarcău village. He been married to priestess Aglaia and has six kids. He is answering the letters of the villagers and official documents and writes them in jalbas and letters.
• Crone Maranda - witch of the Tarcău village. Lives at the edge of the village near a cemetery. She tells Vitoria that a woman with green eyes did love spells on him.
• Iordan - The publican of Tarcău.
• Mitrea - the farm-hand of the Lipan family. The author describes him to be a human without age, short with cleared eyes [20] and Vitoria considers him to be inept and lazy.
• Elder Alexa - an old man that occupies with sheep for Nechifor Lipan. He is with the sheep with pasturing in Jijiva river and Prut river.
• Archimadrite Visarion - abbot of the Bistrița Monastery.
• David - Jewish merchant, friends with Nechifor Lipan. Holds a little store, pub and inn at Călugăreni he buys cheese and lamb skin for Vitoria and then temporally joins Vitoria.
• Donea - innkeeper from Bicaz.
• Anastase Balmez - subsherrif from Neamț county.
• Spiru Gheorghiu and Iancu Neculau - organizers of illegal gambling games, from Galați. Been caught in Farcașa.
• Elder Pricop - blacksmith from Farcașa, married to elder Dochia. He invites Vitoria and Gheorghiță for dinner as is a type of tradition to serve adventurers.
• Dumitru Macovei și Toma - innkeepers from Șaru Dornei and Sabasa that stops Vitoria to find out where Nechifor could had been travelling.
• Iorgu Vasiliu - innkeeper from Suha.
• Maria - Iorgu Vasiliu's wife, that seems to start rumors.
• Calistrat Bogza - tall mountain villager with the lips of a rabbit from Doi Meri villager, killed Nechifor Lipan.
• Ilie Cuțui - short mountain villager and a bit black that is from Doi Meri, accomplice of Nechifor Lipan.
• Ileana - Calistrat Bogza's wife.
• Gafița - Ilie Cuțui's wife.