Any wounds you take may be applied to Companions you currently have instead. This still counts as you taking wounds for card effects. Companions can never be healed. If their wounds equal the number on their card, the Companion is discarded and any benefit they give you is immediately lost. Companions may also give you a level in a skill. If you don’t have that skill, you gain level 1 in that skill while you have this Companion with you (take the corresponding token). If you already have the skill, move the skill level marker 1 level forward. If you lose the Companion, move the marker back 1 level.