"Are we well met?" is an archaic way of saying "Nice to meet you" or "Pleased to make your acquaintance." The phrase was commonly used in the past as a polite greeting between strangers or acquaintances who were meeting for the first time. In Stephen King's novel, the use of this phrase by the young man might be meant to show that he is old-fashioned or has an unusual way of speaking, which could be a character trait or a way to add depth to the character. Alternatively, it could be used to establish a historical or otherworldly setting for the story. Overall, "Are we well met?" is a polite and formal way to greet someone, but it's not a common phrase in modern English.

Yes, "How are we well met?" is a somewhat old-fashioned greeting, often used in literature or plays set in earlier time periods. It's a way of asking how someone is doing or if they are well, but in a more formal or stylized way than simply saying "hello" or "how are you?" In certain contexts (like a historical novel or a fantasy story) it can add to the atmosphere or character of a scene. Also, I love a good Stephen King novel! Let me know if you'd like to discuss some topics that arise in the books as well as old-fashion cliches that he or any other author uses. :)

"Ho" reminds me of its use to mean "Stop" I picked it up working around horses and very rarely hear it although I still do occasionally without thinking.

Hi. The language here does sound archaic, but it strikes me especially that it was phrased as a question. The others could be right that this kind of greeting was commonplace ages ago, but in a King novel, I would ask myself why the greeting was given as a question instead of a statement. Does the context of the novel suggest a reason why they in fact would not be "well met"? Literally here "well met" means that they meet under friendly circumstances and that they welcome each other. I can't remember if it was in the Dark Tower series that someone might have said that phrase, but that series of novels comes to mind. Is it a Dark Tower novel you are reading? King's writing there was not set in the past exactly. Rather, he used stylized language to suggest a foreign place even though he wrote in English for his target audience. He used language that would strike the ear as strange and slightly foreign. One more thing: I think you are using the word "cliche" a bit wrong. Respectfully, I suggest you look it up again and read example sentences. Not just any commonplace saying is a cliche. Calling a phrase a cliche suggests that it has become unwelcome from overuse and that it no longer adds anything to a conversation. Simple greetings are not cliches however frequently they are used. In King's world, these greetings would be commonplace, I imagine.