Sam is in Braavos. Dareon has buggered off. Aemon is ill and probably dying. Gilly is still crying. All their money has been wasted on paying for transit on ships that they have missed and on medicine for Aemon. He wants Sam to find out about dragons, so Sam goes out carrying his sword, which on a Saturday night in Braavos is asking for trouble. Luckily Sam is rescued by none other than Arya. That's the second very cool total coincidence Sam has been caught up in. The gods aka GRRM really want Sam to meet up with all the various Starks. But Sam does not find out who Cat is and they part.
Sam finds Dareon in a pub of ill repute, but he is drunk and useless. Sam gets kicked out of the pub and into the canal for punching Dareon for abandoning him. He's not having a good day. He's rescued by Xhondo, who knows a thing or two about dragons.
