Despite being relatively touch averse, it didn't bother Cassie at all when Mal touched her back to guide her away. She felt better having Mal close, appreciating that the older girl had magic and the ability to turn into a fire-breathing dragon. Both would likely prove very useful while they were stuck in this bug infested hellscape.
"Yeah, sounds good," she said. "We can find a place to fortify that has whatever we need to get through this."
She honestly wasn't worried about any of the other people. They could fend for themselves.