Rain: Ithildin,
thanks for this - I found it really interesting. I too believe that Eomer couldn't have really seen Legolas and Gimli since they were sitting down with their cloaks about. I just have another question. Do the elven cloaks really have hoods? I wasn't sure whether this was an impression given to me by the movie - I hate these things. I love the movie, but only if it's kept separate from the books in my mind. I have a vague recollection of Pippin putting his hood up while he was in Minas Tirith with Beregond - but as I said, it may not be true at all. If Legolas and Gimli were sitting down with their cloaks about them and hoods up, then Eomer can be forgiven for not recognising the fact that Legolas was the only elf out of the trio.

Ohhh, did I say one question? Sorry I have another, if you don't mind . How do you know that the Rohirrim weren't observant? I never got that impression. If it is from not seeing the three until Aragorn stood up, I always got the impression that the elven cloaks were a good source of camouflage in any environment.

Elanor: I think, I can venture answering if you don't mind, Rain. IIRC, the cloaks had hoods, and IMHO they were detachable. I can't quote precisely (no books at work ), but it's said that the Elves of Lorien provided every member of the Fellowship with a hood and a cloak.

Rain: quote:

The Elves next unwrapped and gave to each of the Company the clothes they had brought. For each they had provided a hood and cloak, made according to his size, of the light but warm silken stuff that the Galadhrim wove. It was hard to say of what colour they were: grey with the hue of twilight under the trees they seemed to be; and yet if they were moved, or set in another light, they were green as shadowed leaves, or brown as fallow fields by night, dusk-silver as water under the stars. Each cloak was fastened about the neck with a brooch like a green leaf veined with silver.